The Mystery of Harold Smith

By -
You contaminated me!
Harold Smith is one of my favorite secondary characters from Twin Peaks. His gentle nature masked a "lonely soul" and dare I say maybe a slightly troubled one too. Although brief, his scene in Fire Walk With Me is also terrific. So what is it about him that holds so much allure? I'm guessing it wasn't the apple butter!

Maybe it was the charm of the actor who played him, Lenny Von Dohlen or perhaps it was his unwavering devotion to Laura Palmer, even after her death. Either way, Harold is both mysterious and sensitive. Donna revealing her adolescent rendezvous with Laura to Harold is arguably one of Lara Flynn Boyle's best scenes from the show. 

It's a lady slipper!
His quiet pleasant persona only cracked when he felt betrayed by Donna. However he remained indoors and ultimately chose to take his own life vs. lashing out at others. His extreme choice not only saddened me as a viewer, but also always made me wonder if there was more to his story. Could Harold have harbored a fear even greater then simply agoraphobia? 

Perhaps Harold feared that Bob was after him. After all Laura did give him her "secret" diary, which was filled with snippets of her Bob encounters. In the movie we learn that Harold didn't believe Bob was real, but maybe after Laura died he changed his mind. He also seems to be effected by all the "electricity" in the air. When Donna forces him outside it causes his arm to quiver. This happens again to many folks in the town later on.

She seems like a very nice girl!
What were Mrs. Tremond and her grandson (David Lynch's real life son) doing next door anyway? Are they spirits from the Black Lodge or just creamed corn magicians?
J'ai une âme solitaire


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Recap of the Pilot & Alternate Ending

By -
Image
All wonderful things start off strong and Twin Peaks is no exception. There were two versions of the pilot. The U.S. version ends with Sarah Palmer having a vision of a gloved hand taking Laura's necklace from where Donna and James buried it in the woods. The UK version ends with an elaborate dream sequence that isn't seen in the US until the end of episode 2. Written by:   Mark Frost & David Lynch Directed by:  David Lynch Original Air Date: April 8, 1990 The Pilot "She's dead, wrapped in plastic!" At the Packard's, Josie stares into her mirror longingly, while Pete tells Catherine downstairs that he's gone fishing. He walks outside and notices something laying in the beach. When he goes to investigate, Pete realizes he's looking at a dead woman. He runs back into the house and calls the sheriff. Pete tells Harry, "she's dead, wrapped in plastic!" Harry brings Deputy Andy and Dr. Hayward to in...
Read more

"Dick Laurent Is Dead" - Dissecting Lost Highway

By -
Image
"You'll Never Have Me" by @eclecticirie Written by: David Lynch & Barry Gifford Directed by: David Lynch Original US Release Date: February 21, 1997 Starring: Bull Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Loggia & Robert Blake On a dreamy desert highway, sexual jealousy, rage and murderous intent weigh heavily on a deranged man's soul.  Fred Madison smokes a cigarette at his house. His intercom buzzes. When Fred listens a voice says, "Dick Laurent is dead." In the distance police sirens blare. Off put, Fred starts looking out his window, but doesn't see anyone outside. Later Fred prepares for work. His wife Renee says she's not going to come to the club to see him play, because she's going to stay home and read. She tells him he can wake her up when he gets home. Then we cut to him playing the saxophone at his club the Luna Lounge. After his set, Fred uses the pay phone backstage to call R...
Read more

The Load on Toad

By -
Image
With so many irreverent side characters in Twin Peaks, it's hard to choose a favorite, but for whatever reason Toad has always been high on my list. After I recently recapped Episode 8 , I got thinking about Toad and the tribute to Kevin Young Jr. at the end of the episode. So, I did a little Google research and found out a few tidbits about the actor Kevin Young. He was originally hired to work as a production assistant on the Twin Peaks set and ended up being cast as the Double R lovin' extra known only as, Toad. Kevin Young's  IMDB page lists him in 4 uncredited episodes and as being a production assistant on the set of Fire Walk With Me. However many fans credit him with being a fun add on to our love of pie, coffee, bad tips, Shelly, Norma and all things Double R related. Given that he only grunted and had no actual speaking lines, what do we really know about the character of Toad? Toad wasn't much for leaving tips as we see in Season 1 episode 4 whe...
Read more

Twin Peaks Returns (Part 8): A Message to the World

By -
Image
July 16, 1945, White Sands, New Mexico, 5:39 (MWT) 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...FLASH! Insert a bit of Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima , and slowly zoom in. The atmosphere isn't natural, nor is it comforting. It's a black and white landscape, like the Lodges themselves, and full of ominousness. A mushroom cloud emerges. This is reality mixed with fiction. This is the most iconic and deadly imagery of all true life horror. The worst of our fears; atomic destruction; nuclear fallout; the end of all things. As we enter the explosion, with its colors popping off like fireworks, angry bursts of atoms fracturing physics, poisoning the earth, and raging with wild fire, it begins to become apparent; this isn't just about Twin Peaks, this is a message to the world. Gordon Cole would say, "Fix your hearts or die!" And perhaps we will die, because man has doomed himself. A Creation Story Part 8 seems to be a visual presentation, and a brilliant one...
Read more

"This Is The Girl" - Thoughts on Mulholland Drive

By -
Image
Nightmares, betrayal, heartbreak, murder and a Hollywood dream that was crushed  - all concepts of Mulholland Drive, which is one of David Lynch's most hypnotic and darkest films. In addition to being one of my personal favorites from David's collection, Mulholland Drive also embodies, in a deeply mysterious and haunting way, the tragic pain of having your hopes crushed by the Hollywood machine. Sprinkled with moments of levity and visual panache, Mulholland Drive takes the viewer on a journey that is both strangely beautiful and wonderfully disturbing. I had the pleasure of being invited by -->  Twin Peaks Unwrapped  to discuss this terrific film, which is the inspiration for this post. You can listen to the podcast here -->  Podcast 21 Mulholland Dr. My Thoughts on Mulholland Drive: I was fortunate to see Mulholland Drive in a great little independent film theater near where I live when it first came out. At the time I ...
Read more