The Shining's Debunked Myth Is Actually Great For Kubrick's Classic

Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic The Shining is surrounded by rumors and myths, and one of them has recently been debunked, which is actually great for the movie. Stanley Kubrick is responsible for various classic movies across different genres, but he was also a very controversial filmmaker. Kubrick pushed boundaries in most of his movies and this wasn’t always well-received by the audience, but his biggest controversies came from behind-the-scenes stories, though not all of them have turned out to be true.

One of Kubrick’s most controversial movies is The Shining, based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel of the same name. The Shining follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), who takes a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, and he takes his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) with him. Once there, Danny’s “shine” is triggered by the ghostly presences at the hotel, which begin to terrorize the Torrances. The biggest myth around The Shining was about the many takes of one scene, but this has now been debunked and it greatly benefits the movie.

The Shining's Debunked Myth Of 148 Takes Changes The Movie's Legacy For Good

This Particular Myth Wasn’t Good For The Movie

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For decades, stories about issues and not-very-nice working conditions on the set of The Shining have been told, with many of them becoming myths. One of the most notable behind-the-scenes stories about The Shining said that the scene where Wendy walks backward up the stairs with the baseball bat, defending herself against Jack, took 127 shots. The Guinness Book of Records even gave this scene the record for most retakes in cinematic history, but in 2020, it was updated to 147 takes, for the scene where Danny and Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers) talk about “the shine.”

Unkrich has documents from the set of The Shining, among them the notes of script supervisor June Randall, in which the exact number of takes for every scene is documented.

However, author and filmmaker Lee Unkrich, in his 2024 book Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, sets the record straight about both myths, fully debunking them. Speaking to ComicBook, Unkrich said the 127 and 147 takes myths are not true, and he has proof. Unkrich has documents from the set of The Shining, among them the notes of script supervisor June Randall, in which the exact number of takes for every scene is documented. Unkrich told IndieWire that the shot with the most takes is the dolly shot when the hotel’s manager shows Jack and Wendy around and they go into the Gold Ballroom.

It quiets down rumors of unfair treatment on the set and Kubrick being abusive to the cast and crew.

According to Unkrick, this took 66 takes. Debunking these myths is great for the legacy of The Shining, as it quiets down rumors of unfair treatment on the set and Kubrick being abusive to the cast and crew. The Shining’s legacy can now be fully focused on the movie’s visual and narrative quality and the performances of its cast, rather than on the obscure stories of what happened behind the scenes, though that doesn’t mean there weren’t a couple of problems.

What Really Happened Between Kubrick & Shelley Duvall In The Shining

The Shining Did Have Some Issues Behind The Scenes

The most alarming stories from the set of The Shining are those about the tense relationship and dynamic between Kubrick and Duvall. Speaking to ComingSoon.Net in 2016, Duvall admitted to having moments where they “exploded at each other” because they had different ideas about what Wendy Torrance should be like and she had a very bad anxiety attack on set at some point, but they also shared more lighthearted moments. It has also been said that The Shining went through very long filming days, which added to any tension there could have been between Kubrick, the crew, and the cast.

The 127 takes myth and Kubrick’s bad treatment led to claims that these were the reasons why Shelley Duvall quit acting, but in reality, she left Hollywood to be closer to her family, and a series of situations unrelated to Kubrick and The Shining led her to make that decision. The Shining’s legacy can now be changed for the better and the production of the movie can be seen in a new light, as there was no such thing as over 100 retakes of one scene.

Sources: Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Guinness World Record, ComicBook, IndieWire, ComingSoon.