The scene in question is the iconic shot of Jack Nicholson's character, Jack Torrance, bursting through the bathroom door with the line, "Here's Johnny!". It took 127 takes to get the shot right.
While the official Guinness World Record for most takes on a single scene is 2,160 (for a scene from the 2003 film "The Last Samurai"), "The Shining" is considered to be the most famous film to have used a huge number of takes for a particular scene.
Here are some reasons for the large number of takes:
* Kubrick's perfectionism: Kubrick was known for his meticulous attention to detail and his demanding nature on set. He would often shoot scenes multiple times to get the perfect shot.
* Nicholson's improvisation: Nicholson is known for his improvisational style. Kubrick was said to have encouraged him to improvise on set, leading to many different variations of the scene.
* The challenging nature of the scene: The scene itself was challenging to shoot due to its physicality (breaking through the door) and the emotional intensity required from Nicholson.
While it's not officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, the scene from "The Shining" is considered the most notable example of a single scene requiring a large number of takes in cinema history.