As a companion piece to the film location article about the Tremond house exterior in Twin Peaks Season 2, I’m taking a closer look at the exterior of Harold Smith’s apartment. These two articles are joined because the houses were part of the same property in Agoura Hills, California. Unfortunately, both houses were destroyed in November 2018 by the Woolsey Fire. Thankfully, Charles from the now defunct InTwinPeaks.com documented the location more than a decade ago.
WHERE IS HAROLD SMITH’S HOUSE EXTERIOR LOCATED IN TWIN PEAKS?
The Smith house was one of two buildings located at 29371 Lake Vista Drive. The approximate coordinates where the two houses once stood are 34°06’26.3″N 118°45’51.8″W.
According to what little records I could locate about the property, one (or perhaps both) the homes were constructed around 1940. The Los Angeles County Assessor’s office didn’t have records available as the land is part of the private residential community called Malibou Lake Mountain Club. This community of custom houses is nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains between the Conejo Valley and beaches of Malibu. The area has many No Trespassing signs and the community is serious about those warnings.
The property was extremely difficult to locate as it was hidden behind a lot of shrubs and brush. A fence covered part of the view along Lake Vista Drive.
Thanks to an unnamed source, Charles eventually toured the site and took what are some of the only photos from this property. Interestingly, the site of the Smith and Tremond houses are basically located across the street from the Johnson’s home exterior used in the first two seasons of the show (not in the Pilot episode as that spot is found in Washington state).
The property changed hands several times during the past 25 years. At the time of filming in 1990, the Hoecker family may have been the residents. I located a few additional photos from OpenDoor.com when the home was for sale a few years ago.
Trulia.com still had a property description available on their listing:
Malibou Lake~~One Story With Separate Guest House–Main House Is Approx 2500 Sq.Ft.~~ Guest House Is Approx 1000 Sq.Ft 2 Bedroom 1 Bath, Screen In Porch.Over 26000 Sq Ft.Usable Lot.
It seems that the Tremond home was the larger of the two houses which means Harold’s place was the 1000 Sq. Ft place.
The most recent residents to live in this spot at the time when it burned down were the Rodericks. Their name still appear on the metal mailbox that is one of the only things remaining at the location.
THE WOOLSEY FIRE
Named for Woolsey Canyon where the fire originated, the Woolsey Fire burned from November 8-16, 2018. It burned 96,949 acres of land and, according to this page, “destroyed 1,643 structures, killed three people, and prompted the evacuation of more than 295,000 people.”
It’s incredibly random which properties were destroyed and which ones were spared.
I visited the area on September 19, 2020 and took this image looking down at the property from Mulholland Way.
I returned in October 2020 and looked upon the property from Lake Vista Drive.
HAROLD SMITH’S HOUSE
Harold Smith’s house first appears in Episode 2002 directed by David Lynch. This episode aired on October 6, 1990 but was most likely shot during the week of July 23-27 that year. Harley Peyton wrote the script between July 7-18.
Charles mentions that the crew “really went all-out making these houses appear more woodsy; applying wooden trim to all the windows, doors, etc.” None of those wooden features were present on the house at time of shooting.
The scripted scene appears slightly different than broadcast:
EXT. APARTMENT HOUSE – DAY
Donna stands before apartment number 3, knocks. But no one answers. She scribbles a note, slides it under the door.
Donna steps back to her car. Behind her, hands gently part pale curtains. Someone watches her leaving.
In the broadcast version, we see a number “2” outside Harold’s door. Donna writes a note but we don’t see the completed version. I’m assuming she provides her home phone number as Harold will later call her.
Donna slides the note under Harold’s door.
Remember what the door looks like as it will be important in a moment.
Donna walks down a path back to her parked car.
The fence was constructed for this episode. You can see an archway that was added along with another fence covering the giant tree found at the property’s entrance (it’s still there today).
“Harold” peeks out from the blinds. Most likely a crew member did this take as there would have been no need to have Lenny Von Dohlen on set that day.
Here is the same window Harold used.
An alternate take from this scene must have been used in Episode 2005 as the crew wouldn’t return to the location until Episode 2007. Most other Harold Smith houses were constructed on a set. More on that in a moment.
Harold’s quick glance catches Donna’s eye just before the scene ends.
HAROLD SMITH’S HOUSE AS A SET
When we return to Harold’s house in Episode 2003, we are seeing a set. Notice the “house” with blue trim behind Donna. It’s like the Lake Vista Drive home except it’s not.
When Harold answers the door, he is standing on a set inside City Studios (Occidental Studios) in Van Nuys. It was one of about 10 sets constructed at this giant soundstage.
I mean the crew did an outstanding job capturing the spirit of the physical location on a set. Yet there are little differences – the door is different, curtains not blinds, or the wood trim is slightly off.
Nighttime shot of Mrs. Tremond’s “house” in Episode 2003, which again is just a set.
It’s still a set in Episode 2005 when Donna arrives.
And it’s still a set when Donna attempts to steal Laura Palmer’s secret diary.
As Harold stands in the doorway to his house, we get a better look at the wooden trim.
There is no window directly across from Harold’s place at the Lake Vista Drive address. So Donna is standing in front of a set.
The real tell that this is a set is when Harold steps outside. You can see that nothing matches the physical location.
I now sort of feel like Harold, wishing this place was real. Sadly, the set was dismantled long ago after filming was completed.
NIGHTTIME OUTSIDE HAROLD’S
Back to the physical set at Lake Vista Drive. We see a nighttime shot of Harold’s exterior in Episode 2005 as Maddy waits in the bushes for Donna’s signal.
Just as a reminder, this is the building Maddy is watching. You can see some of the blue trim along the top which was later repainted on the actual home.
The episode’s script by Barry Pullman describes the action:
EXT. HAROLD SMITH’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Maddy sits behind the front bushes, coffee cup in hand, eyes fixed on Harold Smith’s bedroom window.
Most likely, the crew shot this at the actual location but I’m unsure where.
Maddy sees the signal.
Pullman writes:
EXT. HAROLD SMITH’S HOUSE – NIGHT
Maddy SEES the tiny window flashes. She rises up from behind the bushes and does an eggshell walk toward the bungalow door.
RUNNING OUT OF HAROLD SMITH’S HOUSE
When James Hurley rescues mostly Donna Hayward (oh, and Maddy too), they are seen running down the path toward the wooden fence.
The same area on October 14, 2020. All gone.
James and Donna share a moment after escaping Harold Smith’s house.
I love this shot of Sheryl Lee as Maddy Ferguson. That look on her face. She is standing at the fence entrance.
MADDY LEAVES HAROLD’S HOUSE
Maddy leaves the scene driving a 1959 De Soto Fireflite Sportsman Four-Door Hardtop.
A similar view from the late 2000s.
Here is Lake Vista Drive on September 19, 2020. Maddy would have been driving toward the camera.
James and Donna watch Maddy drive away. Notice the mailbox.
It was still there when Charles visited.
He also took this image of the mailbox from the opposite direction.
I did the same when I stopped by the area on October 14, 2020.
The street lamp was a prop added for the set. No street lamp exists like this along Lake Vista Drive.
ESTABLISHING SHOT OF HAROLD SMITH’S HOUSE
We return one more time to Harold Smith’s apartment in Episode 2007. The Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Department is combing the scene of his apparent suicide. A logging truck passes in front of the police vehicles.
It’s most likely the same logging truck used in other scenes.
The truck appears to match one seen in Episode 1001 when Norma Jennings enters the Twin Peaks General Store.
It also seems like the same truck from Episode 1005 that is pulling into Big Ed’s Gas Farm.
I wonder who drove it. Did they just have this truck on stand-by in case we need some logs in a scene to remind us that we’re in the Pacific Northwest, not California?
As the logging truck passes, we see Truman’s Ford Bronco and another 1980 Chevy Impala squad car.
The latter seems to be the same car used in Episode 1005 outside Jacques Renault’s apartment.
What I would give to have a time machine to visit this site during the original broadcast. Below is how this information about Harold Smith’s residence appeared on InTwinPeaks.com. I can’t thank Charles enough for documenting these places, especially as they are disappearing with time.
INTWINPEAKS.COM
Thanks for posting this Twin Peaks location archive before and after Woolsey. I happen to live in Malibou Lakeside (down the street from the tiny bridge where you can see the One-Eyed Jack’s boat dock). I moved here in 2011, so I never saw Twin Peaks film here. I was was sad to see that Twin Peaks history burned down when I was finally allowed to return post-fire. (Fortunately for me, my non-Twin Peaks house survived.)
@Tanja – You’re welcome. I’m glad to hear that your home survived. My heart goes out to all of those who were affected. Your community seems like such a lovely place and I wish you many more sunny days.