COOL STUFF
Must Watch: Nearly Every Instance of the Wilhelm Scream on Film
by Ethan Anderton
April 25, 2011
Source: SlashFilm
For those who seem to be completely lost after reading that headline, here's a little backstory. According to Wikipedia, The Wilhelm scream is a film and television stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. Though you may not know it by name, you certainly know its signature sound as it has appeared in a whole slew of popular films. For those of you who have no idea what we're talking about, you'll soon be enlightened as SlashFilm just had one of their readers send them quite an extensive video compilation of nearly every instance this signature scream has been heard on film. Check this out below!
The sound itself became popular on film again after sound designer Ben Burtt discovered the original recording (which he found as a studio reel labeled "Man being eaten by alligator") and incorporated it into the above scene in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. He's even credited with naming the scream after Private Wilhelm, a character in The Charge at Feather River, a 1953 western in which the character is shot with an arrow. Apparently this is believed the third instance in which the stock sound was used on screen. As you can see in the video above, it's made appearances in plenty of big films since then, and will likely be around for many years to come. Pretty cool, eh?
34 Comments
1
Epic
Roc on Apr 25, 2011
2
Beyond Epic.
Manuel on Apr 25, 2011
3
Very nice! hahah Now that I watched this, i'm going to notice it ALL THE TIME!!!
MrHeatMizer on Apr 25, 2011
4
Amazing. Just amazing.
Xerxexx on Apr 25, 2011
5
HA HAAAAAAAAAAW!
NeoSlyfer on Apr 25, 2011
6
What the hell is that movie where Adam Goldberg gets run over by an ambulance?
JL on Apr 25, 2011
8
I really enjoy when they knew it was a classic stock sound and added for fun and its classic rep. i.e. Kill Bill, Sin City,
McWilly on Apr 25, 2011
9
the vid sucks after 12:22
Jericho on Apr 25, 2011
10
nice
A5J4DX on Nov 13, 2018
11
nice
A5J4DX on Nov 13, 2018
12
its awesome how the same stock sound can be used in every genre
nick on Apr 25, 2011
13
this guy better be gettin paid or at least his children's children. My god those follies were annoying.
Anonymous on Apr 25, 2011
14
It almost doesn't seem real. It seems like the sound has been added into some of those scenes, even though I know it hasn't been.
Necrothug on Apr 25, 2011
15
Watched the whole thing....nearly..... got a bit fed up so paused to read all your comments......got to Jericho's which said it sucked after 12:22 so I looked how far I got and the time counter said......12:22....how weird is that. Amazing peace of cataloguing though, seems many a director will throw millions of dollars at the on screen effects and then.....Slap a Willhelm Scream in there, no one will notice....................
Barry North on Apr 25, 2011
16
I'm sure it's done more as a tradition than as a way to save on money...
Anonymous on Apr 25, 2011
17
What was that scifi wilm with the split-kicking lady with the red hair? Wonder if Wilhelm gets any royalties?
Crapola on Apr 25, 2011
18
If I'm not mistaken, it could be heard in Halo: Reach as well.
Chocolate Supra on Apr 25, 2011
20
good (exhaustingly compiled) vid. since reading about the Wilhelm Scream years ago, i always recognise it when it's used. sitting in the cinema, it helps to makes you feel at home!
Anonymous on Apr 25, 2011
21
Wilhelm Scream is awesome I have that as my text sound on my Android.
Anonymous on Apr 25, 2011
22
There's a lot of this I've noticed. Nothing new but still funny. There's a stock sound from Starcraft (first place I've heard although I did hear it in a movie older than that but forgot the name of movie) that's been used a lot! Found it! http://youtu.be/B3WimCPUkQY The name of the scream sound effect is: "gut wrenching scream and fall into distance" which has been used in many movies and games.
tra la la la la di da on Apr 25, 2011
23
love the Wilhelm scream! BUT ...love the Howie scream more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49sPDziuO84
Anonymous on Apr 25, 2011
24
That's actually my favorite movie sound effect, but I couldn't find out what it was called, so thanks for that.
JL on Apr 26, 2011
26
Gayest sounding scream EVER!!
Wlange4 on Apr 25, 2011
27
hey guys, at 7:34, what movie is that?
Jonah on Apr 25, 2011
28
all hail ze Führer 11:23
Anonymous on Apr 25, 2011
29
I hate the Wilhelm scream. Whenever I hear it, it takes me right out of whatever movie I'm watching. It's overused and so well known I know right off that it's a fake scream. The wilhelm scream should be retired.
Whatfunisthere on Apr 25, 2011
30
For me, it's almost enough to ruin a movie.
JL on Apr 26, 2011
31
I love looking at stuff like this throughout film history. Check out a video I did of Central Park NYC throughout film history! http://casey-carroll.blogspot.com/2011/04/central-park-throughout-film-history.html
Casey Carroll on Apr 25, 2011
32
I make this exact same sound every time my wife serves her signature meatloaf. Seriously...awesome clip. I hope Wilhelm gets royalties...
Anonymous on Apr 26, 2011
33
@ JL regarding Adam Goldberg being run over.... I think....I think that is from "The Salton Sea"
Conrad Williams on Apr 26, 2011
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