Tuesday, February 21, 1989 is a special day in Twin Peaks history. It’s the first day of shooting for what would become the Pilot Episode of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s beloved series. Thanks to Brother Jer from Twin Peaks Archive, we have an idea of what scenes were shot on that first day in North Bend and Snoqualmie, Washington. So set the way back machine and let’s take a trip!
TWIN PEAKS PILOT DAY ONE – ONELINE SCHEDULE
On February 21, 2019, Twin Peaks Archive shared this tweet with the attached Oneline Schedule. The schedule was drafted on Sunday, February 19 with action to begin at the Mar-T Cafe in North Bend on Tuesday. The oneline schedule gives a high-level summary of scenes to be shot, locations, time of day, and script page references.
According to Wunderground.com, the weather on February 21, 1989 in North Bend saw a high of 50-degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 38. Sunrise was at 7:04 a.m. and sunset was at 5:43 p.m. (the latter will be helpful later as we discuss the nighttime shots).
In this behind-the-scenes photo from TheMauveZone.com, we can see it was a chilly day in the Pacific Northwest. David Lynch is seen in the center of the shot while Director of Photography Ron Garcia is almost out of frame at the far left. A snow-covered Mount Si looms in the background.
SHELLY FINISHES SHIFT
According to the schedule, the scene with Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook), Shelly Johnson (Mädchen Amick) and Norma Jennings (Peggy Lipton) inside the Double R Diner was shot first. I’d love to know who the mill worker in silver hat was also sitting at the counter.
The scripted dialogue is similar to the broadcasted version.
INT. DOUBLE “R” DINER – MORNING
SHELLY JOHNSON, a young, slim waitress, is putting on her coat, as the other waitress, HEIDI, a hefty German girl, enters. The owner of the diner, NORMA JENNlNGS, a statuesque, well-preserved forty year old former beauty queen, pours a warm-up for BOBBY BRIGGS, handsome, muscular high school senior, wearing a a letter jacket.
The Mauve Zone had some additional publicity shots taken during the filming of this scene. It’s crazy to think this was the first scene in what would become a lifelong obsession for me.
Bobby and Shelly exchange a slightly guilty look. Bobby rises, puts some change on the counter.
BOBBY
Hey, Shelly, you headin’ out?
SHELLY
Headin’ home.
BOBBY
I gotta go to practice, I could drop you at your place on the way.
SHELLY
That’d be great, thanks.
BOBBY
(as they go, holds up a quarter)
Here’s a tune for you gals. Norma, I’ll see you in my dreams.
NORMA
Not if I see you first.
The Mauve Zone picture as posted on their site was backward (the name on the napkin dispense was written in reverse). I flipped it for this article.
There’s a great black-and-white photo of David Lynch giving direction to Peggy Lipton during this scene.
BOBBY
Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.
He drops the quarter in a jukebox, punches a song in. Bobby and Shelly exit the diner as an aggressively cheerful German Polka blares from the jukebox.
The David Lynch Music Co. posted a close up photo of the Double R Jukebox a few years ago. Doesn’t appear to have “aggressively cheerful German Polka” but the tune Bobby plays is “I’m Hurt Bad” (which will later be associated with James Hurley). It was also featured in Industrial Symphony No. 1, the live concert production with Julee Cruise.
NORMA CALLS ED
After the Shelly Finishes Work scene, they crew moves to the Mar-T Cafe kitchen where Norma Jennings is seen calling Big Ed Hurley. This scene won’t appear until later in the episode.
The script contains similar dialog and places the action in the late afternoon.
INT. DOUBLE “R” DlNER KITCHEN – LATE AFTERNOON
Norma, the bombshell waitress and diner owner, is on a wall phone in the kitchen. The diner is humming with activity.
NORMA
(hushed, urgent)
I know I promised not to call there, but I have to see you … I feel so bad, I can’t tell you …
ED
I know. It’s okay.
The behind-the-scenes image from The Mauve Zone shows a side view of this action. Notice the small jar on the counter to the far left.
HEIDI ARRIVES AT DINER
Heidi’s (Andrea Hays) arrival is next. The scene start outside with her pulling up in a Volkswagen Beatle.
A similar publicity shot is found on The Mauve Zone. I’m guessing this was taken earlier in the morning around or before sunrise at 7:04 a.m.
I wonder if this close up of the Double R sign was also shot during this time. It first appears in Episode 1003, so my gut tells me it was. They could have easily zoomed in on the sign when shooting Heidi parking the car.
Dialog is again the same as the broadcast version:
SHELLY
(popping gum)
What kept ya, Heidi? Seconds on knockwurst this morning?
Heidi, a bubbly, easily embarrassed girl, giggles and blushes. HEIDI
I couldn’t get my car started.
SHELLY
Too busy jump startin’ the old man.
BOBBY
Thought you Germans were always on time.
NORMA
Bobby, I thought the only time you cared about was makin’ time.
BOBBY & SHELLY GET IN CAR
Action moves outside to the scene where Bobby and Shelly get in his 1969 Plymouth Barracuda. According to Internet Car Movie Database, this model Barracuda was only made from 1967 to 1969, which the latter had rectangular marker lights.
The script called for a Buick Electra ’88 convertible. They may have meant an Oldsmobile ’88 as seen in this video.
EXT. DINER – MORNING
Bobby opens the door of his souped-up Buick Electra ’88 convertible for Shelly.
BOBBY
(under his breath)
I think she knows about us.
SHELLY
Norma? Fat chance. She’s probably hot to trot for you herself.
She gets in.
Another great behind-the-scenes shot of David Lynch giving direction to Dana and Mädchen.
BOBBY & SHELLY KISS
The script contains some missing action and dialog.
INT. BOBBY’S CAR – MORNING
Bobby climbs in behind the wheel and starts the car. They look around for a moment, make sure no one is watching them, then kiss hotly.
SHELLY
I was thinkin’ about you.
BOBBY
Yeah?
SHELLY
All night.
(she caresses him intimately)
BOBBY
All right.
He steps on it and peels out of the parking lot.
But they ultimately kiss.
The Mauve Zone posted one behind-the-scenes image that makes me think there was more shot with this scene, particularly Bobby speeding away from the diner. It looks like he is starting the car but the televised scene cuts to the “Welcome to Twin Peaks” sign road.
2 NIGHTHAWKS SOBER UP
Speaking of missing action, there was a deleted scene included in the Atmospheric videos on the 2014 Blu-ray release. It could be the scene where “2 Nighthawks Sober Up.”
The image reminds me of the 1942 painting by Edward Hopper titled “Nighthawks.” Lynch is a big fan of Hopper so most likely it was a nod to this iconic image. The Art Institute of Chicago details the uniqueness of this painting:
“Fluorescent lights had just come into use in the early 1940s, and the all-night diner emits an eerie glow, like a beacon on the dark street corner. Hopper eliminated any reference to an entrance, and the viewer, drawn to the light, is shut out from the scene by a seamless wedge of glass.”
PATRONS HAVING DINNER
This one is a mystery. I’ve looked at multiple scenes of the Double R Diner but nothing appears to match this description. There is an exterior shot in Episode 1003 with a logging truck replacing Heidi’s car that could be this shot. The sky feels similar to the Pilot Episode, yet I’m unsure if we’ll ever be able to confirm.
EMPTY PARKING LOT
Captured by the Second Unit Camera crew, the empty parking lot scene could be this establishing shot that was used in both Episode 1007 (just before Hank and Norma chat about his time in prison) and in Episode 2020 (included in the montage of empty places). Notice the “RR” sign appears to be missing and the “Mar” is not illuminated.
INTERSECTION – EMPTY – LIGHT CHANGES
The Second Unit also shot the empty intersection footage found just outside the Mar-T Cafe. This Traffic Signal scene was first used in Episode 1003.
Footage of the traffic signal at dusk appears in Episode 2004. The Second Unit may have also shot this on the first day. Mount Si appears to be covered in snow similar to that behind-the-scene images at the very top of this article.
There is also a nighttime shot of the light changing which will be used in all three seasons of Twin Peaks. See more about traffic signals in this Setting the Stage article.
CAMERA MOVE
Sunset was around 5:43 p.m. which gave the crew extra time to capture more nighttime shots in North Bend before moving production to downtown Snoqualmie.
COOPER & TRUMAN TALK BEFORE MEETING
The first scene for both Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean) and Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) is a deleted scene that takes place near a gazebo.
The scene would have taken place before the Town Hall meeting where Cooper addresses the townsfolk. This article examines this scene so I won’t repeat myself now.
TOWN SQUARE / GAZEBO – EMPTY AT NIGHT
The Second Unit also supposedly captured nighttime shots of an empty Town Square with the Gazebo and additional shots of the gazebo without people. I’m unsure this footage actually exists. If it did, we may have seen Elk’s Point Bar #9 (a.k.a. Smokey Joe’s) which would later appear in Part 14 on Showtime.
