The Wilhelm Scream is a sound effect that has permeated the cultural zeitgeist, appearing in over 400 movies and TV shows. Originating from a 1951 Gary Cooper Western, “Distant Drums,” the sound effect was first used to simulate a screaming person being attacked by an alligator. The sound effect has since been regurgitated as a running joke, often falling flat in its attempts at humor and style.
Ben Wright’s Offscreen journal article provides an astute history of the sound effect, tracing its origins to The Purple People Eater singer and Rawhide actor, Sheb Wooley. Six recordings of the sound existed, with the fifth ultimately being used in the movie’s final product. The sound effect has since been used in various films, including The Charge at Feather River, Them, and The Wild Bunch.
Interestingly, it was only in the 1970s that the sound effect acquired its famous name. Sound editor Ben Burt brought it into the mainstream when he was searching the Warner Bros. effects library for Star Wars. He coined it “The Wilhelm Scream,” naming it after the character who used it in The Charge at Feather River after being shot with an arrow in the leg.
The Wilhelm Scream in a movie (Via IMDB)
The inclusion of the Wilhelm Scream in Star Wars with its rabid fan base sent the familiarity with the over-the-top sound effect into the stratosphere. The sound effect has made its way into over 400 movies, TV shows, and video games. This inclusion breathed new life into an obscure sound effect, which other sound editors began incorporating into their film projects, such as Poltergeist, Toy Story, and Monster House.
However, despite its appealing origin story, there is a strong argument to be made that the Wilhelm Scream should never be used again on film, or at least in the ones that want themselves to be taken seriously. It has become a victim of its own success, becoming too recognizable at this point in time.
