This Setting the Stage article examines the exterior locations of Lucky 7 Insurance in Las Vegas, Nevada. Â With it’s bronze statue of a Western-dressed man pointing a pistol, this location appears in six episodes of Twin Peaks Season 3 on Showtime beginning with Part 5.
In Part 6, we learn the address of Lucky 7 Insurance after Ike the Spike stabs a photo of Douglas Jones. Attached to the photo is Dougie’s business card which reads:
Lucky 7 Insurance
7600 Main Street, Las Vegas, Nevada
PH: 702-555-6170
In reality, the building’s exterior scenes were shot at 801 N. Brand Boulevard in Glendale, California. The building is currently occupied by New York Life. It’s located about a mile away from where the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department scenes were shot. Stay tuned for a closer look at this film location in another story.
PART 5
The first time we see the exterior area outside Lucky 7 Insurance is in Part 5 when Janey-E drives drops off Dougie.
The scene cuts to interior shots of the car with Janey-E and Dougie as he exits the vehicle.
Upon exiting, we get a first look at the Lucky 7 Insurance building as Dougie walks towards the entrance. This is also the first time that the bronze statue appears in the series.
The bronze figure captures Dougie’s attention as he stops and imitates the man pointing his weapon toward the horizon. The statue, as reported in Vulture.com from October 2017, was actually a tribute to Donald Lynch, David’s father. Lynch shared this story at the Festival of Disruption 2017:
“My father, when he was 19, worked at a fire tower. They’re way up in the air,†Lynch explained during his Sunday-afternoon talk. “He had to hike once a week for five hours to get water and food, and then hike back, and then climb way up in this tower to scout out smoke and fire and call out to the firefighters if he saw anything. I’m not sure if he took the first selfie, but with a string he managed to take a picture of himself holding a pistol out with a stance, and that was the impetus for the statue.†With this image in mind, Lynch requested the custom-built work of art for Dougie’s scenes, although the aesthetic results were a little more mixed than he would’ve liked: “It doesn’t even look like him really,†he said, “but it’s the pose.â€
After imitating the figure, Dougie continues his long trek toward the glass covered entrance. The white sculpture with red balloons actually covers a stainless steel sculpture located in the courtyard.
The 19-foot by 25-foot by 30-foot stainless steel sculpture is titled “Triumph† by James Thomas Russell. It was commissioned by Allstate Insurance in 1997. Russell create more than 150 commissioned pieces and works of art. He died on May 21, 2017. I wonder if it was covered as the production team couldn’t get the rights to use it in the series. Or since the building is supposed to be set in Las Vegas, it may have been covered as it’s a sculpture associated with Los Angeles.
This establishing shot appears only once in the series as is seen just before Dougie is shown riding the elevator with case files in hand.
After exiting the elevator, an establishing shot of the bronze statue is seen. The sun is supposed to be setting but I wonder if this shot has been adjusted to make it appear like dusk. The extended arm strategically covers the word “Hilton” which appears at the top of the building in the distance.
The scene transitions to Dougie standing at the base of the bronze figure as fellow Lucky 7 Insurance employees are seen leaving for the night. A short time-lapse transition in the scene makes it seem that Dougie has been standing there for awhile.
Toward the end of Part 5, it’s now nighttime in the plaza outside Lucky 7 Insurance. A similar shot of the bronze statue from earlier in the episode is seen again.
Dougie is touching the figure’s shoe as a Security Guard tells him to “move it along.” As the credits roll, Dougie continues to be enamored with the statue while “Windswept” by Johnny Jewel plays in the background.
PART 6
Part 6 opens where Part 5 ended. There is another establishing shot of the bronze figure now enveloped by nightfall. Clutching his case files, Dougie Jones struggles with his green sport coat sleeve. A Security Guard eventually addresses Dougie and takes him home.
PART 7
Part 7 has a couple of scenes that take place outside Lucky 7 Insurance. The first takes place about 33 minutes into the episode. There is another establishing shot of the bronze man which is used to block the Hilton logo again.
The scene cuts to Janey-E waiting patiently by her car for Dougie to leave work. We get a good look at the front of the statue this time. Also, notice the silver truck and red car in the background.
It’s the same silver truck that was seen in Part 5. The red car will appear again in Part 13. More than likely, they filmed all of these scenes with vehicles at the same time. All they had to do was change Naomi Watts’ wardrobe and vehicle.
Growing impatient, Janey-E leaves her vehicle and walks toward the building to fetch her absent-minded husband.
Janey-E, with red Dooney & Bourke handbag in tow, escorts Dougie through the front door.
Ike the Spike cuts through the crowd with a weapon aimed at Dougie. Sensing danger, Dougie pushes Janey-E out of the way and attempts to disarm the would-be assassin. This action appears to take place in front of the covered sculpture.
During the struggle, the Evolution of the Arm appears to rise from the concrete plaza. It encourages Dougie to “squeeze his hand off.”
You can see the white cover for the sculpture in the background as Dougie finally grabs the gun with part of Ike’s palm still attached.
Ike retreats while Janey-E clings to serious-faced Dougie.
Following the attack, the scene cuts to this alternate view of the plaza and the bronze sculpture figure. It’s the only time in the series this scene is used.
Janey-E reports the attack to two uniformed police officers in the plaza.
The scenes where Another Mom and the 5-Year-Old Girl speak were shot on the stairs behind where Dougie and Janey-E talk with the cops. You can see some of the extras in both shots.
The Soccer Mom scene where she describes Douglas Jones’ cobra-like movements was also shot on these same stairs.
The exterior scenes conclude with a vignette shot of a gloved hand removing a piece of Ike’s skin from the gun and placing it in an evidence bag.
PART 10
In Part 10, the Lucky 7 Insurance exterior is seen during a news broadcast on KQRY at the Mitchum Brothers’ home. A non-vignette scene of Ike’s skin being removed is used during the broadcast.
The Soccer Mom interview is used again and additional shots from Part 7 that didn’t make the final cut were used in the broadcast (particularly the close up shots of Janey-E speaking and the police officers’ reactions).
The Mitchum Brothers pause the broadcast on the image of Dougie Jones, which was could have been an alternate take from Part 7 (the image is brighter and Dougie’s holds a different facial expression when looking at the badges).
PART 11
Part 11 has an establishing shot of the plaza just before Bushnell Mullins calls Dougie into his office.
Later in the episode, there is a fantastic shot that swings around the bronze figure in the plaza.
This fly around shot doesn’t appear again in the series.
The camera lands on Bushnell and Dougie walking with a box.
The same Limo Driver from Part 4 that drove Dougie from the Silver Mustang Casino to his home on Lancelot Court is waiting. Bushnell encourages Dougie to “knock ’em dead” and the Limo Driver helps Dougie get into the vehicle. As the door closes, we can see a reflection of the Lucky 7 Insurance building. In the background, there is also a parking garage entrance and the same Equinox building that was briefly seen in Part 7 .
Bushnell watches the white limousine drive away.
PART 13
The final establishing shot of the bronze statue opens the episode (just before the Mitchum Brothers’ conga line) It is similar to one used in Part 7 but the slightly wider. The statue is used again to block the Hilton hotel name in the distance.
The final shots of the exterior area look similar to shots from Part 5. This time Janey-E arrives with Dougie driving her white BMW. Notice the red car in the scene.
Once the scene cuts to Janey-E trying to get Dougie out of the car, the red car is already parked in the distance.
As Dougie walks toward the entrance, we see a small red car drive past the BMW. This is the same red car and the grey car that passes by, are seen parked in Part 7.
The scene (and this article) closes with a smiling Janey-E watching her husband make his way into work.
