Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me on October 31, 1991

Happy Halloween! For this spooky holiday, I’m taking a closer look at a scene that was allegedly filmed for Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me on this day in 1991. Unlike my previous call sheet analysis from November 1, details about this scene come from a brief mention in the official press release for David Lynch’s 1992 classic film.

WHY IS OCTOBER 31 AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR TWIN PEAKS?

October 31 is a special day in the world of Twin Peaks. Both Frank Silva (Killer BOB) and Michael J. Anderson (Little Man from Another Place) were born on this day, and Mark Frost’s “Twin Peaks – The Final Dossier” was published by Flatiron Books in 2017.

With thanks to the official press release, we also learn that the train car scene in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was shot on this date. It’s a small mention toward the top of the Production Information section of the release:

Now, though, Lynch could finally film Laura’s last tryst in a derelict railroad car as he’d envisioned it … surrounded by macabre mirror images of Frank Silva as the hulking intruder, Bob, and Michael Anderson as the ‘Man From Another Place.’

Lee was grateful for a closed set — and lengthy breathers between takes. “Playing a character like Laura Palmer, your brain does strange things to you,” she admits. “I still have nightmares in which I’m riding with Bob on an old abandoned train.”

By a quirk of scheduling, the scene in the decayed Pullman was shot on Halloween. “That’s also the birthday of both Frank (Silva) and Michael (Anderson). Honest!” Lee says. “Spooky things happen around David Lynch. It’s not like they’re intentional. They just happen.”

The paragraphs imply that the scene with Leland placing the mirror below a restrained Laura Palmer may have been shot on this date.

WHO WROTE THE TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME PRESS RELEASE?

Gaye Pope was the Unit Publicist for the motion picture, who later served as Lynch’s assistant before passing from cancer in 2003. She is quoted in a Los Angeles Times article from 1991 about the film’s production revving up. The image above may be Gaye Pope from Scott Coffey’s film “Ellie Parker.”

Pope is the mother of Scott Coffey who played Trick in Twin Peaks – Part 12 on Showtime.

You may also recognize him from David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. Scott has two brothers, Sean and Todd, and the latter posted an image of their mom on his Facebook page in 2011. It’s the only photograph I could find of her on the internet.

I share this as she may have been the person who wrote the press release (assuming it wasn’t someone from the film studio).

Working in communications for many years, I’ve learned that little tidbits, such as “this scene was filmed on Halloween,” is a great way to capture interest. Halloween is already associated with spooky things, so stating that one of the film’s most haunting and disturbing scenes was film on that day just adds to the mystery.

WAS THE TRAIN CAR SCENE ACTUALLY FILMED ON OCTOBER 31?

We know from that Nov. 1 call sheet that scenes were filmed on the train car set.

“Ring rolls on Train Car Floor.”

“Rope on Pole in Train Car” (look above Laura Palmer’s head)

Sadly the “Dripping water from Train Car Ceiling” scene was cut so we don’t have photo reference.

This would mean that the train car set was still around City Studios, the location of sets from Seasons 1 and 2 and the film, the day after Halloween.

In David Hughes’ “The Complete Lynch,” he mentions that principle photography took three months.

“Fire Walk With Me began filming on September 5, 1991 … The breakneck paces of the series evidently had an effect on the film, however, as principle photography was completed in a little over three months …”

Thanks to ObnoxiousAndAnonymous on Twitter who alerted me to an article in Film Threat Magazine from October 1992 that discussed this infamous Halloween shoot.

On page 37 in Dean Lamanna’s article, he discussed the scene.

“The climatic scene set in the rusted-out Pullman is indeed a doozy – filled with phantasms, guttural cries and stomach-churning violence. What’s more, it was completed under a set of strangely coincidental circumstances: Because of delays, Laura’s murder ended up being shot on Halloween – which also happens to be the shared birthday date of Frank Silva and Michael Anderson, who play Laura’s tormentors, Bob and the Man From another Place, respectively. “What’s also weird about it is that I’m a Taurus, which is the astrological opposite of them,” [Sheryl Lee] shudders. “It all seems very symbolic.”

With that said, I believe that the interior scenes were actually shot on October 31. The crew most likely captured the exterior scenes of the train car while still in Washington state (sadly the train car is long gone).

WHICH INTERIOR SCENES WERE SHOT ON OCTOBER 31?

There is a lot to unpack from this part of the film, and, without the specific call sheets, it’s difficult to 100% confirm which scenes. Nevertheless, the images below as just a sampling of what they may have captured.

I omitted the actual killing of Laura Palmer … that’s a bit too graphic and, frankly, we all know what happens.

Ray Wise does an amazing job playing Leland Palmer. His emotional range is off the charts!

She is being tied up on the floor, yet she is later suspended in the air (the missing rope scene I suppose).

“Wig” and the same.

I honestly don’t know how Sheryl Lee did this film. She is incredible! For the next image, I combined a panning down shot of the Angel floating above Ronette in the train car.

This is such a spectacular and beautiful image.

The scene of Ronette getting kicked out of the train was most likely shot in Washington state. The ring on the floor was shot on set.

Don’t take the ring, Laura.

What part of “Don’t take the ring” was unclear?

Hello nightmare fuel!

Maybe one day I will find the actual call sheet from this day. Wouldn’t that be the best treat!?