A look at my collection of black and white publicity photos from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me continues with an image of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) and James Hurley (James Marshall) at the light at Sparkwood & 21. This print comes from a collection of prints from Spelling Films International that I won at auction. It’s a heartbreaking scene that was filmed in Snoqualmie, Washington just around the corner from the bridge Ronette Pulaski crossed during the Twin Peaks pilot.
WHAT IS SPELLING FILMS INTERNATIONAL?
The publicity photo was printed by Spelling Films International which was Aaron Spelling’s Spelling Entertainment Group formed in 1990 to help with film distribution in international markets.
Originally named Spelling Films International, the company rebranded itself as Spelling Films in 1995. According to the Audiovisual Identity Database, Spelling Films International became “an in-name only unit and the print logo appeared on covers.” In 1998, Spelling Films was shut down by majority owner Viacom (known today as Paramount Global), who wanted to pool resources into Spelling Television. In 1992, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me was released in the United States by New Line and was distributed by Spelling Films International in all media in all international territories excluding France.
LAURA PALMER AND JAMES HURLEY AT SPARKWOOD & 21 – 151-22
Sparkwood and “21” is located at the intersection of SE Reinig Road and 396th Drive SE in Snoqualmie, Washington The approximate coordinates are 47°31’49.1″N 121°48’20.1″W. The spot is surround by other film locations such as Ronette Pulaski’s bridge, Laura Palmer’s drive to Harold Smith’s house and part of the scene where Mike the One Armed Man follows Leland Palmer’s car.
This scene was shot on October 4, 1991 according to the official shooting diary by Charlotte Fraisse.
The photo was taken by Lorey Sebastian who served as the on-set photographer for David Lynch’s 1992 masterpiece. The back of the photo contained handwritten numbers 151-22 which I’m assuming is a catalog number.
Born in New York City in 1944, Lorey eventually moved to Los Angeles, California. She began her career in 1977 as the still photographer on the set of Joan Micklin Silver’s film Between The Lines and had more than 100 film credits to her name including The Player, Crash, St. Elmo’s Fire, True Grit, Twilight, Hell or High Water and Hostiles. In 2018, she retired and moved to Truchas, New Mexico with her two dogs. Lorey passed on May 9, 2022 at the age of 78 following a brief illness.
The publicity photo is a slightly different angle than what is seen in the theatrical release.
Laura wraps her arms around James and screams, “I love you, James!” The scripted dialog is slightly different, placing “James” before the “I love you.”
LAURA
(from far away she screams)
JAMES, I LOVE YOU.
It’s an incredibly heartbreaking moment, one in which James recalls in Twin Peaks pilot when speaking with Donna Hayward in the woods: “,,,we stopped at the light at Sparkwood and ’21’ and she did something so strange, she grabbed me around the neck and she screamed she loved me…”
The scene ends with James watching Laura run off into the woods.
Download a high-resolution image of the black and white publicity photo from my Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aloha75/albums/72177720325607231/
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