Hitchcock-Final Cut Can't open door,get gassed

I've seen other posts alluding to this but I don't know the answer. I can't open the restaurant door to escape the gas. I know I have to hit the space bar a lot but I can only open the door two times before the time is up and I die. Is it a glitch or am I still doing something wrong? I'm using Windows 98. It's driving me crazy and I'm ready to quit for good. Please help!

Once with the magnifying glass, your inquisition will be interrupted by a sudden gas trap. Get back to the door and slam it open 3 to 5 times (press the space bar many times to activate).

Is this what you're doing?

Just finished this game and I know how frustrating this little sequence can be. As I kept slamming the space bar, it seemed that he was moving in slo-mo, almost as if the game had control and not me. I just kept at it, after dying several times and finally the door opened. I got the feeling I needed to be lined up with some exact spot to trigger this action. Great game, don't give up!