All of us here at MRHP are rather partial to the auld stock sound effect and what could be more "stock" than the famously underappreciated Wilhelm Scream. For this reason we have chosen to inform you on this iconic film sound effect.
The Wilhelm Scream was first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums (1st instance in the above image). The effect gained new popularity (its use often becoming an in-joke) after it was used in Star Wars (see clip below) and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games. The scream is often used when someone is shot, falls from a great height, or is thrown from an explosion.
The sound is named for Private Wilhelm, a character in The Charge at Feather River (see clip above), a 1953 western in which the character is shot with an arrow. This was believed to be the third movie to use the sound effect and its first use from the Warner Brothers stock sound library.
The Wilhelm scream has become a cinematic sound cliché, and by 2008 had been used in many instances, including over 216 movies, television shows and video games. Some directors, most notably George Lucas, include it in almost every one of their productions (the clip above gives a brief e.g. of this).
Love it or hate it this strange high pitch scream has been around a long time and whether you like it or not will probably continue to do so. The family guy still below is a fervent example of how it has been rendered as both a form of post-modern pastiche & parody within popular culture. Next week we will be looking at another famous stock sound titled Youraagh, so keep those ears peeled and those finger clicking. HUH!!!
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