More Missing Pieces – Deputy Cliff Visits Teresa Banks’ Trailer in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

The Twin Peaks fan community is filled with incredibly kind people. There is a small group of us – Bookhouse Boys and Gals if you will – that are dedicated to researching, archiving and preserving the history of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s wonderful and strange show. One such individual is 1400 River Road who has joined the quest in identifying details that make the television show and feature film so unique. Recently, she contacted me about a holy grail item I heard existed but had never seen photographic proof. She obtained an official publicity photo of a deleted scene from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me that isn’t featured in The Missing Pieces from 2014. The best part is that it’s from my favorite part of Lynch’s masterpiece – the Fat Trout Trailer Park.

DEPUTY CLIFF VISITS TERESA BANK’S TRAILER IN TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME

The publicity photo 1400 River Road acquired came from an online auction seller in Spain. It features a black and white image of FBI Agents Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) and Chet Desmond (Chris Isaak) in Teresa Banks’ trailer. Deputy Cliff Howard (Rick Aiello) stands in the doorway of the trailer as Desmond looks down at his cup of “Good Morning America.”

The photo was printed by Spelling Films International which Aaron Spelling’s Spelling Entertainment Group formed in 1990 to help with film distribution in international markets. The company was originally named Spelling Films International before rebranding it in 1995 as Spelling Films.

According to the Audiovisual Identity Database, Spelling Films International became “an in-name only unit and the print logo appears on covers.” In 1998, Spelling Films was shut down by majority owner Viacom (known today as Paramount Global), who wanted to pool resources into Spelling Television.

This could explain how a seller in Spain had this publicity photo as it was created for the international market.

RICK AIELLO DISCUSSED FILMING THIS SCENE

1400 River Road reminded me that the late Rick Aiello spoke with Ben Durant and Bryon Kozaczka from “Twin Peaks Unwrapped” about filming this scene during the first days of shooting at the Fat Trout Trailer Park in September 1991.

“I wasn’t a fan of David’s. I didn’t really know his work. I never really saw Twin Peaks. Joanna Ray, who was the casting director, had a picture. I don’t know if I met David, but I never read for him, So at the time in my career, I was carrying a lot of New York cops, gangsters, a for of energy.

So when I got to the set, the first scene that we played was in the trailer with Harry Dean Stanton, Chris Isaak, me, and I think Kiefer (Sutherland) was there. It never made it to the movie. They cut it. I went in there and I started doing my thing like I do east coast, cop gangster, a lot of energy. So I’m thinking they cast me from my picture, they must know what I do.

Obviously, he’s not happy and he comes to talk to me, and I’m paraphrasing, he says something like, “I want you to pause so badly, so much. I want you to be uncomfortable.” Meaning that the pace was too quick. In the moment I learned a little bit about acting. I mean he wasn’t groundbreaking but [David] taught me to think of other things than just spurting the words out.

When I saw the movie, I saw his style. I thought he was a genius and I don’t use that word a lot. He could make you laugh, cry and scared the shit out in the same 30 seconds. I mean, he is special.” (“Twin Peaks Unwrapped,” pages 156-157)

So where does this deleted scene take place? Let’s turn to David Lynch and Bob Engles script from August 8, 1991.

DELETED SCENE FROM FAT TROUT TRAILER PARK IN TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME

The action would have taken place after the Curious Woman (Ingrid Brucato) exits the doorway of Teresa Banks’ trailer.

27. INT. TERESA’S TRAILER – LATER

A WOMAN sticks her head into the trailer. She has an ice pack over one eye and a load of idle curiosity. Desmond notices her.

DESMOND
Did you know Teresa Banks?

She just nods in the negative and lens back out. Behind her is Deputy Cliff, who looks into the trailer.

In the theatrical cut, Desmond turns to Carl Rodd who says one of my favorite pieces of dialogue from the film – “See, I’ve already gone places. I just wanna stay where I am.” Harry Dean Stanton’s lines are not found in the August 8 script which means it was most likely created on set.

Yet it appears they filmed the exchange between Desmond, Rodd and Cliff which continues below.

CLIFF
Hey, how’s J . Edgar doin’?
(to Carl)
Bet you appreciate them bustin’ your mornin’ in half, eh, Carl? Bet they woke you up.

…CARL
They’re only doing their job.

DESMOND
What are you doing here in the trailer court, Deputy?

CLIFF.
Maybe I just live here, what do you think about that?

DESMOND
Can I ask you where you were the night Teresa Banks was murdered?

CLIFF
You can tell J. Edgar that I was at a party and I got fifteen fuckin’ witnesses.

CARL
Maybe if you did a little less partyin’ that little girl would still be alive.

CLIFF
Is that right, Mr. Jack Daniels?

DESMOND
Did you know Teresa Banks?

CLIFF
Got a couple of cups of coffee at Hap’s from her. That’s it. By the way where do you get off questioning a lawman? I could ask you the same question.

DESMOND
No you couldn’t.

Chet steps toward Cliff who looses his balance and has to step off the trailer steps.

It’s understandable why Lynch and editor Mary Sweeney cut the scene – it’s a repeat of tensions between Cliff and Desmond experienced earlier in the film at the Fat Trout Trailer Park. There is another deleted scene after scene 27 where Desmond finds a Titleist Golf Ball and he tells Sam that Cliff is a “bozo.”

Long time Twin Peaks fan Christian Hartleben offers another reason why the scene may have been cut: “To leave the scene would have implicated the deputy directly in the events that occurred in that trailer. Since he was the primary antagonist in that trailer, Lynch had to remove it to keep the mystery alive.”

This deleted scene helps explain Carl Rodd’s dialogue when Agent Desmond returns to the Fat Trout Trailer Park. He specifically calls out Cliff’s trailer and red truck (though the script says Cliff’s trailer is red and doesn’t contain any mention of a truck).

Why would Carl volunteer that information to Agent Desmond in the theatrical cut? It makes no sense without the earlier scene where Cliff says, “Maybe I just live here, what do you think about that?”

MISSING PIECES ARE STILL MISSING

This deleted scene is part of a collection of missing pieces that are still missing.

For years, the publicity photos of Chet Desmond fighting Sheriff Cable in front of bales of hay and Big Ed Hurley cuddled next to Norma Jennings inside a vehicle were the only clues that pieces of Lynch’s film were missing.

Thanks to efforts of dedicated Twin Peaks fans like Dugpa who worked on the Blu-ray set from 2014, we finally saw these and other incredible deleted or extended scenes. But not all of the items filmed were included.

We only have photos from minor deleted scenes like Sarah Palmer waiting for Leland and Laura Palmer outside the Double R Diner and the curious neighbor who finds Laura Palmer crying by bushes.

It’s doubtful we may ever seen this footage as Lynch cut The Missing Pieces like it’s own theatrical film. This was an observation from the Cinema Unwrapped event at the North Bend Theatre during the Real Twin Peaks 2024 event. The scenes selected, along with the mix and edits, made the 2014 release feel like a feature film.

Nevertheless, it’s exciting to discover something new from a film I’ve loved for more than three decades. Thank you to 1400 River Road for sharing this wonderful gift!