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Monday, October 29, 2007

We All Scream

posted by on October 29 at 12:50 PM

featherriverwil.jpg

The most famous scream in film history is the Wilhelm Scream. Originally recorded by the wonderfully named Sheb Wooley for the 1951 movie Distant Drums, the Wilhelm Scream is actually named after a minor charcter from a forgotten cowboys-n-Indians flick called Charge at Feather River that appeared two years later. Its modern revival began with Ben Burtt, sound desinger for Star Wars; since then, the Scream—somewhere between a ball-crunching squeal and a manic kamakaze cry—has been used in hundreds of movies and TV shows. It’s a running in-joke by foley artists to insert the Wilhelm Scream into the most unlikely scenes possible.

Once you hear it, you’ll recognize it everywhere. These YouTube compilations help:

RSS icon Comments

1

Thanks, JZ, for sharing. I've always been a fan of the Wilhelm.

Posted by Matt Fuckin' Hickey | October 29, 2007 12:56 PM
2

Oh, the infamouse Rebel Yell.

I think NPR has some audio and video recordings too.

Posted by Will in Seattle | October 29, 2007 12:56 PM
3

So I assume this sound effect is royalty free now? Does someone have an isolated clip I can use?

Posted by sound guy | October 29, 2007 1:07 PM
4

Why are half of those movies/TV shows connected with George Lucas? i sense a conspiracy afoot

Posted by vooodooo84 | October 29, 2007 1:07 PM
5

i heard it in Thirty Days of Night this past weekend.

Posted by jake | October 29, 2007 1:07 PM
6

You forgot Kirk screaming "KAHN!" in Star Trek II.

Posted by Just Me | October 29, 2007 1:07 PM
7
Posted by Raindog | October 29, 2007 1:30 PM
8

Don't forget Vader screaming "NO!" in the most recent Star Wars.

Posted by Richard | October 29, 2007 1:35 PM
9

Ooh, thanks! I love the Wilhelm, it always makes me happy when I pick it out in a movie. I think I caught it in a Doctor Who episode the other night, too.

Posted by wench | October 29, 2007 1:44 PM
10

The only famous scream that comes to my mind is the Dean Scream. I still remember where I was when I first heard that one...

Posted by matthew e | October 29, 2007 2:05 PM
11

Old news to the max.

Posted by Mr. Poe | October 29, 2007 2:09 PM
12

Wilhelm is awesome. But just to be anal, foley artists wouldn't use this scream, because foley artists are the ones who record live, original sounds as they watch the film. The sound editor would be the one to put Wilhelm into the audio mix. That's your useless knowledge for the day.

Posted by Film Geek | October 29, 2007 2:11 PM
13

@12:

If a male FA accidentally racked himself while recording, he might let loose with a close appoximation of the Wilhelm...

Posted by COMTE | October 29, 2007 2:14 PM
14

Fantastic post.

Posted by Boomer in NYC | October 29, 2007 2:29 PM
15
Posted by el Rutherford | October 29, 2007 2:41 PM
16
Posted by madamecrow | October 29, 2007 2:48 PM
17

A study last month revealed that by the end of the year the total number of blogs posting about the Wilhelm scream will have outnumbered the instances of the Wilhelm scream in the entire history of cinema.

Posted by stinkbug | October 29, 2007 2:54 PM

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