A handheld tape recorder is likely the first prop that comes to mind when one thinks of Twin Peaks. I’ve previously detailed the three recorders in Agent Cooper’s arsenal, but he isn’t the only character who makes use of such gadgets. To my infinite delight, I recently acquired Bobby Briggs’ screen-used Olympus microcassette recorder from prop master Jeff Moore, and more exciting still, I was able to reunite Dana Ashbrook with this original piece at a recent fan event in San Francisco. Let’s dig into this sliver of TV history.
OLYMPUS PEARLCORDER
The prop, with its identifiable curved edge, is an Olympus Pearlcorder S914.
It measures roughly 5” long by 2” wide – slightly bigger than Cooper’s main Panasonic recorder, but more sleek.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF OLYMPUS
The Tokyo-based Olympus Corporation was founded in 1919 and initially specialized in microscopes and thermometers, eventually expanding to produce surgical equipment, cameras, industrial scanners, and more. Olympus introduced the world to microcassette technology – an audio storage medium that is exactly as it sounds – in 1969 with its compact Zuiko Pearlcorder. Though cassettes are generally considered obsolete now, the Pearlcorder line would continue for decades.
The earliest advertisement I could find listing the S914 model was from a May 1990 issue of Scranton Pennsylvania’s The Sunday Times. It is interesting to see it listed between the slightly cheaper S912 model and the much pricier L200, which I assume was the top-of-the-line, boasting a light weight of only 4 ounces.
Curious, I plugged in my scale and found that the S914 weighs in at a whopping 4.3 ounces, about one third of an ounce heavier than the L200. I hope there were other benefits to justify that $90 price difference.
APPEARANCES IN TWIN PEAKS
The Pearlcorder appears only in episode 2008. The scene opens with a clear closeup of the prop in Bobby Briggs’ hand. A strip of black tape obscures the Olympus logo at the top, but the red text down the side of the recorder makes it easy to screen-match.
The closeup breaks to a wider shot to show that Bobby is duplicating a tape that implicates Benjamin Horne in the arson of the Packard Sawmill. Despite Bobby’s clever attempt to extort the town mogul, his efforts are ultimately thwarted by the, uh, Civil War…
PEAKS PROPS AT THE BALBOA THEATER
On November 6, 2022, I attended a wonderful celebration of all things Twin Peaks at San Francisco’s historic Balboa Theater. The event featured a full day of screenings, drag performers, fan art, a costume contest, and plenty of pie and coffee. Actors Sheryl Lee and Dana Ashbrook were in attendance to meet fans and participate in two Q&A sessions.
I had the privilege of showcasing a small collection of screen-used props for fellow fans to enjoy throughout the day, including Nadine’s rowing machine which I displayed on a freestanding rack so that attendees could take photos with it. Journalist Alyson Wong from the Richmond Review found this to be a highlight worth noting in her article, which I consider a great honor considering all of the other attractions.
Naturally, I was most excited to reunite Dana Ashbrook with Bobby’s tape recorder and see if he had any memories from filming that scene. At the end of the event, I showed him the prop along with a reference photo from the episode. “That was mine?!” he asked. “I have absolutely no recollection of that whatsoever.”
I offered some context, explaining that Bobby was copying the tape to blackmail Ben Horne. “Was it about drugs or girls?” Neither, but those are two good guesses! Nevertheless, he humored me with a photo holding Bobby’s original prop.
Though it’s plenty fun writing about Twin Peaks props online, it was a unique joy to share them with fans in person and to see their faces light up as they recognized these unassuming little television artifacts. I appreciate everyone who stopped by my table to talk about the wonderful work the prop department did to bring the show to life, and I appreciate the actors for humoring a nerd like me who simply cannot get enough. Hopefully this won’t be my last time bringing props to a fan event, but in the meantime, I look forward to writing about more of them here.
