Having discovered Frank Booth’s lair, Jeffrey Beaumont cases the joint by setting up a camera in a box on his dashboard, real undercover spy stuff. He photographs Frank as the “Well-Dressed Man,” meeting with “The Yellow Man” who is Wilmington’s own Fred Pickler. Pickler once served as mayor of Carolina Beach, and used to sell police equipment for Smith & Wesson. He met with David Lynch and the production staff about guns to be used as props, and they asked him to be “The Yellow Man.” Pickler does a lot of business in Germany and he says he still gets recognized from the film. He says they call him der gelbe Mann.
Beaumont’s Hardware, 604 Front Street
Blue Velvet fans recognize this building as Beaumont’s Hardware. Although Pike’s Hardware is now defunct, the Pikes, who still live in town, say movie fans used to show up just to walk around the store.
Locale Photographs by Steven C. Fox and Erin Pike
101 Marstellar Street