Ask Mike: The Wilhelm Scream
Hey Guys,
Halloween is upon us, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to watch a few scary movies to help celebrate. This year, I wanted to have a kind of theme to the spooky madness, so I decided to watch movies that have at least one thing in common–the Wilhelm scream.
The Wilhelm scream is an iconic sound effect that’s been used in dozens of films that have little else in common. It was originally used in a film called “Distant Drums” starring the late, great Gary Cooper. The “scream” can be heard when a character is torn to pieces by an alligator. There’s nothing particularly amazing about the scream, and it might have languished in obscurity had it not been for Star Wars sound wizard Ben Burtt.
Hollywood Lost and Found offers up an interesting blog post on Burtt’s fascination with the scream. Burtt had been hired to create the sound effects for Star Wars (the original). While at Warner Bros. Studios hunting for different effects, “he found the original “Distant Drums” scream.” Burtt called it the Wilhelm scream in honor of the character that bellowed the scream in another movie called “Charge at Feather River.”
In the years since Burtt first inserted the scream into Star Wars (you can hear it when Luke Skywalker shoots a Storm Trooper in the Death Star), the sound designer has put it in a slew of other films, including the Star Wars sequels, and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” But Burtt isn’t the only audio expert to slip it into films. Other sound designers have used it in films ranging from “Batman Returns” to “There’s Something About Mary” to “Aladdin.” Indeed, the Wilhelm Scream has become one of Hollywood’s ultimate “in-jokes.” Or maybe it’s just a cliche. Either way, you can watch a compilation of many of the screams here.
So, what Wilhelm films will I be watching on Halloween? Surprisingly, not that many of ‘em are horror flicks. However, “Poltergeist” definitely hits the mark. And, if I get desperate, I can always watch “Howard the Duck.” That one’s about as scary as they get.
Thanks for reading,
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Okay? Happy Halloween.
Alrighty then.
Happy Halloween.
That was pretty awesome, I didn’t know about that, the video clip is great!
I love the Wilhelm scream, it’s hilarious! I can never catch it in movies though. I guess I need to start actively looking for it
nice idea men
That’s interesting. Now I’d like to hear this scream.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy safe Halloween.
A Wilhelm Scream is a killer punk/hardcore/metal band as well.
Good video compilation. I’ve known about it since before I knew that other people did. I remember thinking I’d heard the same scream in a lot of movies, always reminding me of the time it got used in Return of the Jedi. Then sometime in the past decade I found out it had a name and I wasn’t the only one noticing!
I would have thought modern horror movies would include it. What with all the screams going on you’d imagine it would be a perfect choice. Yeah, I know what it sounds like, it wouldn’t be a good choice for someone being murdered on screen. But off screen…
friend ship me
Great video compilation . . . can’t say the same for the scary movies shown this year. The best they could do was House on Haunted Hill I & II
Happy Halloween
Said if i watch the movie with you and i get scrace would you sit beside me. So i will not be very scrace of the movie we are going to watch together at your house on the tv.
Wow , i Actually Found That interesting
i Think i’m Going To Go Look That Up Now