Shelley Duvall’s Harrowing Experience on Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’

The Haunting Tale Behind the Making of Stanley Kubrick's ‘The Shining'

Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, The Shining, is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made.

The story follows Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic, as he takes on the role of caretaker at the eerie Overlook Hotel in Colorado.

Despite the hotel's sinister history of a previous caretaker losing his sanity and murdering his family, Torrance is undeterred and brings his wife, Wendy, and their young son, Danny, to spend the winter there.

Danny possesses psychic abilities known as “the shining,” which allow him to see the dark past of the hotel.

Soon, supernatural forces begin to terrorize the family.

As a winter storm traps them inside, Jack's sanity deteriorates, putting Wendy and Danny's lives in danger.

Stanley Kubrick, known for his perfectionism and eccentricities, was determined to create a film that would captivate audiences.

After the commercial failure of his previous film, Barry Lyndon, he felt immense pressure to deliver a masterpiece.

This drive for perfection made filming The Shining an arduous task for the cast and crew.

When questioned about his demanding on-set practices, Kubrick defended himself by stating that actors must be well-prepared to deliver their best performances.

He explained that if actors struggle with their lines, it hinders their ability to convey emotions authentically.

This led to numerous takes of scenes, even up to thirty, until Kubrick was satisfied with the result.

Behind the scenes, The Shining became the subject of many Hollywood tales.

Jack Nicholson, who portrayed Jack Torrance, was famously fed cheese sandwiches, knowing he despised them, to bring out the madness in his character.

Danny Lloyd, who played Danny, improvised the iconic finger waggle seen in the film.

These anecdotes added to the film's legacy, but there were darker secrets hidden within, particularly involving Shelley Duvall, who portrayed Wendy Torrance.

Author Stephen King openly criticized Kubrick's adaptation, particularly his portrayal of Wendy, which he deemed misogynistic and vastly different from his original vision.

However, the most harrowing story to emerge from the set centered around Duvall.

In a recent interview, Duvall revealed the psychological and emotional torture she experienced during filming.

She explained that she had to constantly be in a state of panic to meet Kubrick's expectations for her character, causing both mental and physical exhaustion.

Kubrick's insistence on numerous takes took a toll on Duvall.

She had to run, carry Danny, cry, and scream for up to thirty-five takes.

To stay in the right mindset, Duvall would listen to sad music and recall painful memories, but even then, her body sometimes refused to comply, leading to additional tears.

The demanding schedule required Duvall to wake up on Mondays and cry all day as part of her role.

Her struggles garnered sympathy from her co-star, Jack Nicholson, who admitted he didn't know how she managed it.

According to Nicholson, Kubrick was a different director when working with Duvall.

While Duvall acknowledged Kubrick's harsh treatment, describing him as cruel and abusive during filming, she also defended him, citing his own experiences with abuse in the past.

Behind the scenes, Kubrick appeared warm and friendly towards Duvall, engaging in lengthy conversations with her and Nicholson while disregarding the crew's pleas to continue shooting.

This created a divisive atmosphere on set.

Even Kubrick's daughter, Vivian, recalled her father's tyrannical approach towards Duvall.

He instructed the crew not to show any sympathy towards her, often ignoring her scenes while lavishing praise on Nicholson.

Duvall's intensive training and isolation for the role took a toll on her mental and physical well-being, resulting in hair loss and declining health.

One of the most challenging moments for Duvall was the baseball scene, which took a record-breaking 127 takes, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

This grueling process left her with a hoarse throat, wounded hands, and severe dehydration.

Despite the immense torment she endured, Duvall found some catharsis in the “primal scream therapy” she underwent, providing a sense of relief when she returned home.

Despite Stephen King's disdain for Kubrick's adaptation, The Shining remains a deeply influential and terrifying film in the horror genre.

Its exploration of trauma and psychological terror continues to captivate audiences.

Renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese has even listed it as one of his favorite films, praising Kubrick's ability to create an atmosphere where unseen forces dictate the characters' actions.

However, the dark side of Kubrick's creative genius cannot be ignored, as it had profound effects on a young and talented actress like Shelley Duvall, blurring the line between cruelty and artistic vision.