I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me since first viewing the film on VHS in October 1993. Despite watching both the original theatrical cut and the deleted and extend scenes from 2014’s The Missing Pieces, I’m still finding new details to discuss. This time, two Instagram posts made by Twin Peaks Executive Producer Sabrina Sutherland offer a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at Leland Palmer in the Train Car scene.
LELAND PALMER IN THE TRAIN CAR FROM TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME
On October 26, 2024, Sabrina Sutherland posted this image of Leland Palmer (Ray Wise) holding a knife and search light on the train car set from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Having watched the film nearly frame-by-frame, I knew exactly where and when this photograph was taken.
A few days later, she posted a second photo of the late Frank Silva dressed as Killer BOB standing on the same set and also holding the same knife and search light.
These photos were most likely continuity or costume reference photos. The images appear to be photos of prints, which had slightly yellowed with passage of time. I color-corrected them and pulled out some of the shadows. I wish I had the original negatives to scan and preserve!
According to the production schedule and a press release, these photos were most likely captured on the last day of principle photography, October 31, 1991. Halloween was also Frank Silva’s birthday. Sabrina posted the Killer BOB photo on Nov. 1 acknowledging Silva’s birthday was the previous day.
Let’s take a deeper look at this scene which may contain some additional Missing Pieces.
INSIDE THE TRAIN CAR
The action with Leland holding the knife begins after Phillip Gerard tosses the Owl Cave ring onto the train car floor. She grabs the ring and places it on her finger.
There is no mention of Laura placing the ring on her finger in the August 8, 1991 script by David Lynch and Bob Engles. This could have been improvised while on set. The rest of her murder scene is done with a series of flashes, slow motion close-up shots.
One of the first flash cuts shows Leland Palmer holding out a knife and screaming. This is the image I remembered immediately after seeing Sabrina’s behind-the-scenes image.
The script describes the auction.
225. INSIDE THE TRAIN CAR
Laura Screaming.
Knife entering flesh.
Bob screaming.
An extreme close-up of Leland thrusting down the knife is seen next. We catch his eyes as the knive moves down.
As the knife passes by, we can see blood on the blade.
There is another extreme close-up of Laura Palmer screaming with a bloody face.
There is then just one shot of Bob gritting his teeth as he slams down the knife. It’s such a quick shot that you almost miss it.
The script continued with the action:
Bloody knife thru the air.
Leland screaming.
Then it cuts back to Leland holding the knife above his head before thrusting it down.
This is such a unique angle to see Leland’s eyes as he holds the bloody knife above his head.
The way Mary Sweeney edited this scene makes me think there was more that was shot. I recall reading that there could have been additional edits made after the screening at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 1992. Yet I’m struggling to find where that was stated (I’ll update once I remember).
Laura dies and Leland / Bob rips the half-heart necklace from around her next. None of this action is described in the script.
The scene with Leland holding the plastic sheet is also not found in the script. He thrusts open the sheet and wraps it around Laura’s body.
The camera shows a distorted Leland through the plastic.
This cuts to an image of Bob as seen through the same sheet. Haunting images!
DELETED SCENE WITH PHILLIP GERARD OUTSIDE TRAIN CAR
In the theatrical cut, we then seen Phillip Gerard standing outside the train car next to Ronette Pulaski’s limp body. Look carefully as you’ll see Gerard laughing. The script had more action and dialogue.
226. EXT. TRAIN CAR
ECU (Extreme Close Up): GERARD
Gerard leans in to take a look and steps back laughing. He yells out for Bob to hear.
GERARD (Continued)
THAT’S HIS OWN DAUGHTER YOU’RE KILLING
He continues to laugh and runs away from the train car.
The way the scene begins with Gerard turning away from the train car makes me believe this dialogue and scene was shot but remains a Missing Piece.
TAKING LAURA PALMER TO THE RIVER
The script continues with the on-screen action that partially answers a question I had about Leland’s attire.
A few moments later Leland stumbles out of the car carrying the body of Laura Palmer wrapped in a plastic shroud. Leland’s shirt is puffed out – a bloody towel inside.
You can see the handheld light Leland is holding in the picture from Sabrina. It appear similar to Maxa Beam Searchlights by Peak Beam Systems.
The one pictured above is the Maxa Beam Basic Package, which contains an “entry-level system featuring a 12,000,000 CandlePower Maxa Beam Searchlight. The Basic Package also includes one LiFePO4 battery, AC charger, and an 8 inch power cord.” It’s not an exact match but it would have been something like this light.
The scene cuts to Leland Palmer lowering Laura’s wrapped body in the water. He is still holding the searching light. As he turns from the scene, we see Bob holding the same light.
This scene was shot on location in Olallie State Park outside North Bend, Washington. The water is actually the Snoqualmie River, the same river where the scene with Teresa Banks floating down the river at the film’s beginning was shot. It’s also around the same spot where Agent Cooper records a memo to Diane about the killer striking again.
I could never figure out why Leland’s shirt was bloody. According to the script, it held the bloody towel. This is the same towel that was found near the crime scene in the series. When we get to the Red Room scene with Bob and a floating Leland, we get one last look at their outfits that were the same ones from the images Sabrina shared.
Thank you again to Sabrina for continuing to offer these looks behind-the-scenes as it helps me piece together this wonderful and strange puzzle.
