In episode 2.010, Nadine Butler Hurley tries out for cheerleading at the Twin Peaks High School field. This spot is the fifth location used for Twin Peaks High School scenes. It’s located down the way from Franklin Canyon Park, home to Glastonberry Grove and Walking After Maddy’s Death just to name a few.
WHERE IS THE TWIN PEAKS HIGH SCHOOL FIELD LOCATED?
The field is located at 1924 Lake Drive in Beverly Hills, California. The image above shows the approximate locations where several scenes were shot. I visited this location on May 26, 2019 during a slightly rainy and overcast day in Los Angeles.
TWIN PEAKS HIGH SCHOOL WELCOME SIGN
The scene opens with an establishing shot of the Twin Peaks High School sign seen at the top of this article.
Thanks to long-time Twin Peaks crew member Malone, we have a look at the actual location of the Welcome sign. He posted this Polaroid on his Instagram account on May 17, 2018.
Yet, this establishing shot does not appear in the episode 2.010 script written by Tricia Brock. The first draft was penned on Sept. 27, 1990 with revisions made throughout October: Oct. 2 (Blue pages); Oct. 5 (Pink pages); Oct. 10 (Green pages). General distribution of the script took place on Oct. 12 on yellow-colored pages. One final revision on cherry-colored pages was made on Oct. 22.
In the script, all of the action takes place in the High School gym, which could have been shot at Van Nuys High School. The crew would use this high school for scenes in episodes 2.011 and 2.012. The high school may have been unavailable for this episode or it could have been easier to shoot these scenes in the open field.
INT. HIGH SCHOOL GYM – DAY
CLOSE ON an animated TEENAGE GIRL’S FACE – cheering.
CHEERING GIRL
STEEPLEJACKS, STEEPLEJACKS, ROLL ‘EM!!!!
ANOTHER ANGLE reveals CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS. Nadine is next in the line of AUDITIONING GIRLS. The P.E. TEACHER and Vice Principal Greege sit behind a table, judging. Behind them hangs a BANNER for the “Twin Peaks Steeplejacks”.
TWO WRESTLERS work out in another corner of the gym, under the WRESTLING COACH’S supervision. The Cheering Girl finishes off with a big jump in the air, touching both toes. The Pep Squad applauds. Nadine is waved forward and eagerly approaches the JUDGES’ TABLE.
The scene cuts to a cheerleader finishing a routine. Look carefully and you’ll spot the sign in the background near the tree line.
Above is a view of the location from May 26, 2019.
P.E. Teach (played by Lisa Cloud) and Assistant Principal Greege (played by Don Calfa) watch the cheerleading tryouts from a randomly placed desk in the field. I love the “Go Steeplejacks” sign in the background.
The trees and fence in the background of the scene are shown above. It appears the wooden fence was changed at some point after the episode was shot.
The P.E. Teacher looks in disbelief as Nadine introduces herself. The script contains additional dialogue about a permission slip that is not found in the broadcast.
NADINE
Nadine Butler.
Greege nods to the P.E. Teacher, who, trying to act normal, writes this down.
P.E. TEACHER
I’ll need your permission slip, please, Nadine.
NADINE
(smile fading)
Permission?
P.E. TEACHER
Signed by your parents.
NADINE
Oh. My parents are in Europe.
TWO GIRLS in the line snicker. Greege intervenes.
GREEGE
She’s okay. I’ve spoken. to her hus – to her guardian.
Nadine brightens.
P.E. TEACHER
Alright, Nadine, let’s start you off with tumbling.
If you watch the episode carefully, you can also tell where the dialogue cuts from Nadine introducing herself to the teacher saying, “Alright, Nadine.”
Here’s the same field from May 26. The crew added the bleachers and streamers for the scene.
Nadine runs off to perform a flip.
I want the guy’s version of that jacket!
Notice the bleachers with students were placed along the tree line next to the high school sign. There is a chainlink fence behind the sign.
The fence is part of private property owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Trees have grown since the episode was shot so most of the fence is now covered.
“Nadine” does a series of backflips. Most likely these flips were performed by stunt actor Birgit K. Scheir who can be seen in this 1989 video of her balance beam routine at the European Championships.
Nadine finishes her routine with the help of another student. In the background, you can see more of the fence from the LADWP property.
That same fence and area can be seen in this Google Maps image from 2015.
Have I mentioned I want a version of that grey jacket?
The script contains a slightly different version of this scene with Nadine performing flips inside the gym while a male cheerleader rolled his eyes at her. This could explain why she suddenly picks up a guy and throws him through the air.
Nadine bounces over to center stage. A MALE CHEERLEADER stands by to spot her. He rolls his eyes – condescending. Nadine, grinning ear-to-ear, walks backwards. Further and further, as if this were her routine. We HEAR a few laughs. With a little jump, she starts running forward, and does a FRONT FLIP, followed by another FRONT DOUBLE FLIP, into a series of CARTWHEELS, landing right in front or the aghast MALE CHEERLEADER. She picks him up by his waist and tosses him into the air.
NADINE
Corkscrew!
And he indeed SPINS through the air, across the gym, landing on the matt on top of the wrestlers. The Coach looks from the hapless cheerleader over to Nadine – very impressed. Nadine beams proudly, barely out of breach.
Nadine then throws the student who helped her through the air.
Here’s a similar view from my visit in May. The trees have grown a lot since the early 1990s.
Years later, I am still baffled as to why Nadine throws the student. But let’s watch his flight anyway.
CORKSCREW!!!!
A similar image from May 2019.
Pretty much my same expression every time I watch this episode.
Once more with feeling…
The camera pans up slightly to reveal a hill behind the P.E. Teacher and the Assistant Principal. You can still see the hill behind the teachers yet trees cover most of it now.
He crashes through a net and lands on students (other stunt performers trained to break his fall I’m sure). Notice the LADWP fence seen again in the background.
The giant tree by where the student landed.
One more time … that jacket!
The area behind the cheerleaders. The Twin Peaks High School sign was placed near this area too.
If I can’t have the jacket, I’ll settle for a popped collar and a TP Cardigan Sweater.
Are they twins?
Notice the grass stain on the popped collar. A must if I ever cosplay as this cheerleader.
The grass from Franklin Canyon Park around the scene where the cheerleader lands. Yes, I’m that obsessive.
Nadine finishes her routine. The trees seen in the background are the same one as the corkscrew student.
INTWINPEAKS.COM – HIGH SCHOOL FIELD
A hat tip once again to InTwinPeaks.com who first wrote about this location in the late 2000s. Below is a look at the pages from that now closed website.
