If you’ve been following Twin Peaks Blog , you should know I love discussing some of the most obscure things from Twin Peaks. In particular, I’m on a mission to locate every film location, even those that appear for only a handful of seconds. Thanks to my fellow Bookhouse Boy and Gal, Ivan Bukta and Jill Watson, I can finally discuss a brief scene where Laura Palmer drives to Harold Smith’s home in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
WHERE IS LAURA PALMER’S DRIVE TO HAROLD’S PLACE LOCATED?
In the film, Laura discovers pages from her secret diary are missing. She frantically sets off for Harold Smith’s house driving a 1956 Buick Roadmaster Riviera (license plate Washington 173 DUS) down a street lined with Sycamore trees (do I hear Jimmy Scott?). The transition scene lasts about seven seconds.
It was shot at approximately 40500 SE Reinig Road in Snoqualmie, Washington. The coordinates are 47°31’46.6″N 121°48’13.3″W. Hat tip to Jill and Ivan for sharing the spot.
Reinig Road is also home to the iconic “Welcome to Twin Peaks” sign, Ronette Pulaski’s bridge, and Sparkwood & 21 (as seen above when I visited in January 2020).
If you are at the spot above, you would turn left to travel down the same road as Laura. By turning right, you will pass Ronette’s bridge.
Based on Charlotte Fraisse’s shooting diary from the film, I’m guessing this scene was shot in September 1991. It could have been on September 30 as Charlotte indicates a small team shot landscapes and cars:
“While we shoot a short scene with Laura and Bobby, a small team shoots landscapes with cars and a shot of Teresa Banks’ body drifting along the river.”
Granted it’s difficult to know which cars they were shooting. It could have also been shot around the time when the Log Lady appears outside the Roadhouse.
Like so many places in Snoqualmie Valley, this road has an interesting connection to the past.
HISTORY OF THE SYCAMORE TREES
According to Historylink.org, the town of Snoqualmie Falls used to be located between Between 396th Drive SE and SE 79th Street. It’s now considered a King County landmark:
“The Sycamore trees growing on both sides of Reinig Road are among the last vestiges of the former company town of Snoqualmie Falls, which was located just east of the town of Snoqualmie on the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River.
In 1916, the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company began developing housing and community facilities for its growing workforce and the workers’ families. Snoqualmie Falls had a community hall, barber shop, post office, hospital, and school.
In 1929, the Company planted a row of Sycamore trees in front of the homes that flanked Reinig Road as part of a community beautification program.
As business at the mill declined, the company decided to close the town. In 1958, 90 houses were moved from the town to new sites, and most of the other structures were demolished.”
Thankfully Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum has details about this lost town. They include photos of the mill cottages on their website.
Thanks to Don Fels who shared more details about Mill Town in an article for Arcade online magazine in 2010.
“In 1917, the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company began building houses for loggers and mill workers in the Snoqualmie Valley of Washington State. When completed a few years later, the Weyerhaeuser operation included 250 houses, a community hall, schools, ball fields, a post office, company store, barbershop, hospital, Japanese bunkhouse, hotel and a railroad depot to comprise the new town of Snoqualmie Falls. The town was sustainable; people walked to all essential services and electricity was supplied to homes at very low costs by burning scrap wood in the mill.”
The photo of the house being moved is fascinating snapshot of time.
TRANSITION SCENE FROM PALMER HOUSE
As mentioned, this brief scene is a transition scene from the Palmer House to Harold Smith’s house. It begins with Laura running down stairs with the Buick Riviera superimposed over the image.
The scene is described in :
71. INT. LAURA’S ROOM – DAY
Laura panics. Dropping her cocaine gadget back into her purse and taking her private diary, she sprints from the room.
The images above are what appears in the 1992 theatrical cut of the film.
THE MISSING PIECE – SARAH AND LAURA PALMER
Thanks to the release of The Missing Pieces, we see a deleted scene found in the script.
The scene begins with Laura running into her mother entering the front door.
72. INT. PALMER HOUSE, ENTRANCE WAY – DAY
Laura runs down the steps nearly colliding with her mom, SARAH PALMER, coming home with a load of groceries. A cigarette in her mouth.
The scene appears mostly the same as the script.
SARAH
Laura, honey…
(smoke going into her tearing eyes)
Cigarette… Cigarette…
Laura takes it out of her mouth.
LAURA
Can I take the car?
SARAH
Sure honey, what’s the hurry?
LAURA
I forgot my books [at school] – note: not in filmed scene].
Laura runs from the house.
SARAH
Laura.
LAURA
What?
Laura looks back to see her mom dangling the car keys in front of her. Laura comes back to get the keys still holding the burning cigarette. Sarah sternly takes the cigarette from Laura’s hand. As they make the exchange.
SARAH
You’ll never be a smoker if you don’t start. I mean it.
Takes a drag. With barely a nod, Laura is gone.
DRIVING TO LOWTOWN
The script identifies the 1956 Roadmaster as Sarah Palmer’s The area Laura drives through is Lotown.
73. EXT. TWO LANE BLACK TOP IN LOTOWN – DAY
Laura speeds through Lotown in her mom’s ’56 Roadmaster Buick.
I love that Lotown is called out in this scene. When Special Agent Dale Cooper and Sheriff Harry Truman question Phillip Gerard (a.k.a. Mike, the One-Armed Man) in , Truman mentions “Lowtown.”
TRUMAN
There was a Lydecker assaulted three days ago outside a bar in Lowtown.
“Low Town” is also found on the map of Twin Peaks in the “Twin Peaks Access Guide to the Town” (see bottom right side of the map above). This time it’s spelled as “Low Town” not “Lotown” as seen in the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Script (could be a typo).
LAURA ZIPS BY TOWARD HAROLD’S PLACE
Laura’s car quickly zooms past the camera. Easiest way to identify the spot is the yellow caution sign.
Most likely the crew was set up along the left side of the road as the car passed by. It’s difficult to see if Sheryl Lee is actually driving the car or if it was someone from the crew (probably the latter).
You can also see the spots where those Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company houses once sat. Definitely a surreal feeling being under the Sycamore trees.
One thing that always bothered me about this scene was the cloud of dust in the distance. How was it created? Most likely, the car started in this spot further down the road. As it sped away toward the camera, it kicked up dust implying that Laura was driving very fast!
HAROLD SMITH’S PLACE
The script continues with Laura arriving at Harold’s place. It’s different than what is shown in the theatrical cut.
74. EXT. HAROLD SMITH’S APARTMENT – DAY
Laura skids up outside the apartment. Then backs the car up to a darker, more enclosed area amongst some trees. Cautiously, she gets out of the car and then hurries to Harold’s door.
1956 BUICK ROADMASTER
On a related note, we see the Buick Roadmaster Riviera two more times in the film.
It’s parked outside when Donna Hayward arrives at the Palmer house and in the parking lot of the Roadhouse. We don’t see it again in the entire series.
I close this article with one last photo from 1991 courtesy of the Snoqualmie Valley Museum. The image is the view that Laura would have had as she drove toward the camera.
Most likely, the photo was taken in winter time as the film was shot in in September and October 1991 when the trees still had leaves.
This is a similar shot from September 14, 2019.
This is the opposite view of the road. Laura would have been driving toward the camera.
