Twin Peaks Location – FBI Surveillance Room and Hallway in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

After years of researching various Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me film locations, I’m now convinced if I wait long enough that they will all turn up. This time, I have to thank Debby Trutnik, David Lynch’s assistant in the early 1990s, who offered several items to Julien’s Auctions for auction including two call sheets from the film’s production. These sheets are holy grail items to me as they are filled with important details such as dates, times, and locations. Today, I’m looking at the F.B.I. Surveillance Room scenes shot of Friday, Sept. 6, 1991, the third day of production in Washington state for Lynch’s 1992 masterpiece.

WHERE IS THE F.B.I. SURVEILLANCE ROOM IN TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME LOCATED?

The scenes for F.B.I. Office in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me were shot at 967 Boren Ave in Seattle, Washington. The approximate coordinates for this spot are 47°36’32.6″N 122°19’31.0″W.

Beginning in 1907, this location was once home to the Hotel Perry or Perry Apartments according to Seattle historian Paul Dorpat:

“The Perry was built on the old Judge Hanford family home site … and the ornate seven-story apartment was also completed [in 1907] for its “first life” at the southwest corner of Madison and Boren … The Perry was purchased in 1916/17 by Sister Frances Xavier Cabrini – not then yet a saint – and converted into the Columbus Sanatorium and later the Cabrini Hospital.”

St. Cabrini Hospital operated in Seattle until November 30, 1990. According to The Seattle Times, the hospital struggled for two years to find a buyer. Owners at the time “had wanted to remodel the oldest part of the hospital, but were told by architects the repairs would cost more than $6 million.” The hospital stopped taking patients on November 1, 1990.

Here is the location as of January 23, 2020. Nothing remains of the hospital which was used extensively as film location in Lynch’s 1992 film.

According to call sheet from Friday, September 6, 1991, the scenes of the F.B.I. Surveillance Room in the “Philadelphia office” were shot on the hospital’s seventh floor

We see the seventh floor when the elevator door opens just before “long lost Phillip Jeffries” (David Bowie) enters the scene. Let’s take a closer look at the three scenes called out in the call sheet:

• INT. PHILLY F.B.I. SURVEILLANCE HALLWAY – Scenes 43/47/49/51 | Coop Keeps Looking Into Camera, Finally Sees Jeffries
• INT. PHILLY F.B.I. SURVEILLANCE ROOM – Scenes 44/48/50/51 | Coops Keeps Looking At Monitor – Finally He Sees Jeffries On Monitor
• INT. PHILLY F.B.I. SURVEILLANCE ROOM – Scene 56 | Cooper and Cole See Jeffries On Monitor

The script by Robert “Bob” Engles and David Lynch from Aug. 8, 1991 has slightly different scene numbers. Most likely, scene numbers changed following on location adjustments to the script.

F.BI. SURVEILLANCE HALLWAY

47. INT. HALLWAY BELOW THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA – SAME
Cooper runs out to the hall again stares into the camera. He stays there for a moment then runs back to the Surveillance Room.

I took three screen caps from this scene and overlayed them on the first image of Cooper staring up at the camera. He stands in slightly different spots each time.

There is a shot of an empty hallway at the former hospital used. I wish I could find any interior photos from this place. Trust me, I’ve searched everywhere. In a time before digital cameras, it would have been costly to take photos and have them developed. Perhaps one day some images will turn up. Since this spot is now demolished, we’ll never get screen-matched location shots.

49. INT. HALLWAY BELOW THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA – SAME
BACK ON COOPER
He runs back out the door into the hallway. Behind him at the end of the hall a door opens and Phillip Jeffries who moments ago was in Buenos Aires the hallway headed towards Cooper, but Cooper doesn’t see him because he is staring intently into the camera as he has done twice before.

I love this shot of Phillip Jeffries walking down the hall behind Cooper.

The scripted scene only mentions a “door opening,” yet we see the seventh floor elevator instead. I love how Jeffries waits to exit the elevator (I do this every time I’m exiting an elevator).

Cooper returns to the room as Jeffries continues walking down the hall.

I love this shot of David Bowie’s character, complete with his red shoes (“Put on your red shoes and dance the blues”). According to an article on WelcomeToTwinPeaks.com from Aug. 20, 2017, it was David’s assistant Debby who pushed to have Bowie in the film.

According to Twin Peaks co-writer Bob Engels, Debby Trutnik, who was David Lynch’s assistant in the early ’90s, repeatedly asked her boss to write a movie part for Bowie. And so he did. “They crammed me,” Bowie told The Seattle Times. “I did all my scenes in four or five days, because I was in rehearsals for the 1991 Tin Machine tour.” In fact, Bowie stole a part of Jeffries’ costume for a good cause: “I’ve worn [his belt] a few times on stage with Tin Machine. It consists of two rather garish portraits of Frida Kahlo. A very “now” item. I’m hoping it will lead to a court case producing massive exposure on CNN. Otherwise, I will sell it to the highest bidder… or Madonna, perhaps.”

F.B.I. SURVEILLANCE ROOM

When Cooper is in the hallway, we see his image on one of three television monitors in the Surveillance Room. It’s part of scene 47: “He stays there for a moment then runs back to the Surveillance Room.”

48. INT. SURVEILLANCE ROOM – SAME
Cooper stares at the monitor which still shows an empty hallway.

Notice the make shift framed F.B.I. logo on the wall next to the desk.

It also appears the uncredited Monitor Guard is using a Panasonic AG-A750 Video Editing Machine on his desk.

There is a shot of an empty hallway on the same television monitor.

Cooper and the Monitor Guard look at the screen together. I really wish I knew who played the Monitor Guard – come on, it’s been three decades!

He returns to the hall before running back into the room to check the screen. He stands in a slightly different spot than the earlier image.

50. INT. SURVEILLANCE ROOM – SAME
Cooper races into the room and stares into the monitor.

Notice there are two people in the monitor on the far right. I’m assuming the shot is from a main entrance of the building.

51. ON THE MONITOR
This time Cooper is amazed to see himself staring into the camera, and behind him is Phillip Jeffries coming towards him and the camera. On the screen Jeffries walks past Cooper.

COOPER
(shouting)
Gordon.

Cooper runs into Gordon’s office.

I’m guessing the giant FBI seal and American are the same items that appear outside the the elevator Phillip Jeffries exits.

F.B.I. SURVEILLANCE ROOM WITH COOPER AND COLE

56. INT. SURVEILLANCE ROOM – DAY
Cooper and Cole sit in front of the monitor. Cooper plays back the surveillance tape. it shows Jeffries coming up behind Cooper. Then moving past him. Cooper turns to Cole.

COOPER
He was here.

The scripted dialogue is slightly different than the filmed version. I’m assuming Lynch revised the scene on set and did multiple takes.

A Japanese magazine about Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me published an uncropped image from the surveillance room. Notice the overhead lights and cords on the floor as Cooper and Cole share a look.

As the scene concludes, we can see someone walking toward the front doors in the far right monitor. My gut says it’s probably someone like crew member John Huck who played an F.B.I. Agent in Fargo, North Dakota with Special Agent Chet Desmond earlier in the film.