Behind the Scenes at the Red Diamond City Motel with Leland Palmer

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was released nearly 34 years ago in North America. David Lynch’s masterpiece was filmed in Washington and Southern California in September through October 1991. Despite the passage of time, I’m still discovering rare gems from the film’s production in Snoqualmie Valley, such as this behind-the-scenes photo of Leland Palmer (Ray Wise) at the Red Diamond City Motel. It’s known today as the Mount Si Motel in North Bend, Washington.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH LELAND PALMER AT THE RED DIAMOND CITY MOTEL

On August 28, 2024, I shared “then and now” photo of the Red Diamond City Motel and Mount Si Motel to the Facebook group, Film Locations – Then and Now. My caption was as follows:

On the 32nd anniversary of the U.S. release of David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” here is a look at the parking lot of the Red Diamond City Motel. This is the motel where Leland Palmer plans to party with Teresa Banks but chickens out. The lot is Mount Si Motel located at 43200 SE N Bend Way in North Bend, Washington. I recently stayed there during a visit to Snoqualmie Valley. Clean place, reasonably priced.

A follower of that group named TE Ray responded with an incredible behind-the-scenes photo of Ray Wise (Leland Palmer) walking across the parking lot of the Mount Si Motel. Ray replied, “Fun fact: I was on set that day and took this photo.”

Based on another post in that Facebook group, it looks like she or he was once a reporter for Seattle Post-Intelligencer in the early 1980s. The scene at the Mount Si Motel was filmed on September 16, 1991, so perhaps TE Ray was on set to record the action taking place.

This image also gives a better look at the front of the 1965 Ford Mustang parked below the motel’s sign.

Ray Wise’s character Leland appears to be dressed in the same attire as the scene in the film sans brown sport coat.

When Leland crosses the motel’s parking lot, he is still wearing the brown sport coat. It’s unclear where Ray Wise was walker. I wonder if basecamp was set up on the far right side around the corner of the trailer seen in the photo above.

We also get a better look at the opposite side that red diamond topped sign. In the deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces, we only see the east side of the sign behind Teresa Banks placing a telephone call in a phone booth.

The Red Diamond was most likely added to cover the “Mt. Si” found ear the top of the amazing Mid-Century roadside sign. I wonder what happened to that sign topper after filming was completed. Moreover, did someone locally in Snoqualmie Valley make the giant diamond?

You can still stay at the Mt. Si Motel in North Bend. If you want to stay in Room 6, Today, book a stay via AirBNB.com. They still have the wall that the crew distressed when filming took place. I’ve stayed in Room 5 (the room where Teresa Banks exits holding a blue tray of ice cubes). There is a two-day minimum stay that can been reserved by calling 425-888-1621. Visit their website more more details: https://www.mtsimotel.com/

Thank you to the mysterious TE Ray for sharing this photo. It would be wonderful to scan this photo at a higher resolution to preserve it in the ever growing archive. If you (or TE Ray) have such behind-the-scenes images you’d like to preserve, please reach out to me – TheTwinPeaksBlog@gmail.com