Interesting note about The Shining.
The staircase scene in The Shining, featuring Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance, was notoriously demanding, requiring 127 takes to film. This extensive number of retakes reflects Stanley Kubrick’s perfectionist directing style, which often led to intense emotional and psychological strain on the actors, particularly Duvall.
Duvall later recounted that filming this scene was particularly grueling, noting that they worked on it for about three weeks, which contributed to her distress during the process. She described the experience as emotionally exhausting, stating, “It was a difficult scene, but it turned out to be one of the best in the film”.
Despite the challenges, she acknowledged Kubrick’s talent and the eventual impact of the film, although she also referred to her time on set as “hellish” due to the extreme demands placed upon her.
I wonder if this scene lead to her lifelong struggle with mental illness.
One of my fav Grandad moments. 1980. I was 10. My GD got HBO when it came out. He asked me to watch The Shining with him cause he was scared to watch it. 😎😂