Nique
08-24-2011, 11:26 PM
First, an introduction.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbYsoEasio)
What has come to be known as 'The Wilheim Scream' is something of a sound effects legend in hollywood. After hearing a distinctive scream in several movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and even Toy Story, I figured that it must be a commonly used sound effect. What I could never figure out was why, with these big budget movies, would they use the same, often seemingly misplaced sound so often. Turns out it's something of a tribute to its' own history.
One sound effect that has found a following with many sound editors and observant movie fans is a distinctive scream named Wilhelm.
In 1951, the Warner Bros. film "Distant Drums" directed by Raoul Walsh starred Gary Cooper as Captain Quincy Wyatt, who leads a group of soldiers to stop some Seminole Indians from threatening settlers in early 19th Century Florida. During a scene in which the soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades, one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator.
As is usually the case with the making of a movie, the scream for that character was recorded later. Six short pained screams were recorded in a single take, which was slated "man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams." The fifth scream was used for the soldier - but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film when three Indians are shot, one after another, during a raid on a fort.
After "Distant Drums," the recording was archived into the studio's sound effects library, and was re-used in many Warner Bros. productions.
In "The Charge at Feather River" (1953), the scream is heard when a soldier named Pvt. Wilhelm (played by Ralph Brooke) gets shot in the leg by an arrow. Originally released in 3-D, the film used the "Distant Drums" scream recording two other times as well.
Up until the mid-70's, the scream recording was used exclusively in Warner Bros. productions, including "Them!" (1954), "Land of the Pharaohs" (1955), "The Sea Chase" (1955), "Sergeant Rutledge" (1960), "PT-109" (1963) and "The Green Berets (1968).
In "A Star is Born" (1954), the scream is heard twice - one of the times because a scene with the scream in "Charge at Feather River" is playing in a screening room.
One person who noticed the same distinctive scream reoccurring in so many movies was sound effects fan Ben Burtt. Ben and his friends in the cinema department at USC, Rick Mitchell and Richard Anderson, noticed that a scream was popping up in a lot of movies. One of the films they made together, a swashbuckler parody "The Scarlet Blade" (1974) included the scream - which they borrowed off another film's audio track.
... Growing in familiarity with fellow sound editors, especially with its use in the hugely successful "Star Wars" series, the Wilhelm Scream has become a favorite with a few sound editors outside of Skywalker and Weddington. Although it has never been available in any commercial sound effects library, the recording has made it around the sound community through editors who appreciate its history.
Only a few studios have the master of the Wilhelm, but because the "classic" scream can be found "in the clear" in a few films - such as the Judy Garland version of "A Star as Born," it has been "borrowed" for projects this way by other studios… not to mention quite a few student films.
Some noted Directors have become fans of the Wilhelm and its history, asking for it by name.
Joe Dante is familiar with the scream. Beginning with his first major film, "Hollywood Boulevard" (1976), it has been included in his films "Explorers" (1985), "Gremlins 2" (1990), "The Second Civil War" (1997), “Matinee” (1993), and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" (2003).
After learning the significance of the scream while it was being put into "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), Quentin Tarantino called a break from its mix so that he and his sound crew could crowd into a nearby room with a small TV to watch "Distant Drums" on a local station to hear the scream. Later Wilhelm appeared in his film "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2003) as well.
When Peter Jackson was told the history of the Wilhelm during the sound mix of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002), he was so excited it was included that he had its volume raised - and insisted that it also be used in "Return of the King" (2003).
Wilhelm occasionally pops up on television shows. Besides its use in a number of shows produced at Warner Bros. in the '50s and '60s, including "Maverick," it was in episodes of "The X-Files," "Angel," and "Family Guy." It has found its way into a few commercials as well - for Dell Computers and Comcast.
Source: http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbYsoEasio)
What has come to be known as 'The Wilheim Scream' is something of a sound effects legend in hollywood. After hearing a distinctive scream in several movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and even Toy Story, I figured that it must be a commonly used sound effect. What I could never figure out was why, with these big budget movies, would they use the same, often seemingly misplaced sound so often. Turns out it's something of a tribute to its' own history.
One sound effect that has found a following with many sound editors and observant movie fans is a distinctive scream named Wilhelm.
In 1951, the Warner Bros. film "Distant Drums" directed by Raoul Walsh starred Gary Cooper as Captain Quincy Wyatt, who leads a group of soldiers to stop some Seminole Indians from threatening settlers in early 19th Century Florida. During a scene in which the soldiers are wading through a swamp in the everglades, one of them is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator.
As is usually the case with the making of a movie, the scream for that character was recorded later. Six short pained screams were recorded in a single take, which was slated "man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams." The fifth scream was used for the soldier - but the 4th, 5th, and 6th screams recorded in the session were also used earlier in the film when three Indians are shot, one after another, during a raid on a fort.
After "Distant Drums," the recording was archived into the studio's sound effects library, and was re-used in many Warner Bros. productions.
In "The Charge at Feather River" (1953), the scream is heard when a soldier named Pvt. Wilhelm (played by Ralph Brooke) gets shot in the leg by an arrow. Originally released in 3-D, the film used the "Distant Drums" scream recording two other times as well.
Up until the mid-70's, the scream recording was used exclusively in Warner Bros. productions, including "Them!" (1954), "Land of the Pharaohs" (1955), "The Sea Chase" (1955), "Sergeant Rutledge" (1960), "PT-109" (1963) and "The Green Berets (1968).
In "A Star is Born" (1954), the scream is heard twice - one of the times because a scene with the scream in "Charge at Feather River" is playing in a screening room.
One person who noticed the same distinctive scream reoccurring in so many movies was sound effects fan Ben Burtt. Ben and his friends in the cinema department at USC, Rick Mitchell and Richard Anderson, noticed that a scream was popping up in a lot of movies. One of the films they made together, a swashbuckler parody "The Scarlet Blade" (1974) included the scream - which they borrowed off another film's audio track.
... Growing in familiarity with fellow sound editors, especially with its use in the hugely successful "Star Wars" series, the Wilhelm Scream has become a favorite with a few sound editors outside of Skywalker and Weddington. Although it has never been available in any commercial sound effects library, the recording has made it around the sound community through editors who appreciate its history.
Only a few studios have the master of the Wilhelm, but because the "classic" scream can be found "in the clear" in a few films - such as the Judy Garland version of "A Star as Born," it has been "borrowed" for projects this way by other studios… not to mention quite a few student films.
Some noted Directors have become fans of the Wilhelm and its history, asking for it by name.
Joe Dante is familiar with the scream. Beginning with his first major film, "Hollywood Boulevard" (1976), it has been included in his films "Explorers" (1985), "Gremlins 2" (1990), "The Second Civil War" (1997), “Matinee” (1993), and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" (2003).
After learning the significance of the scream while it was being put into "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), Quentin Tarantino called a break from its mix so that he and his sound crew could crowd into a nearby room with a small TV to watch "Distant Drums" on a local station to hear the scream. Later Wilhelm appeared in his film "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2003) as well.
When Peter Jackson was told the history of the Wilhelm during the sound mix of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002), he was so excited it was included that he had its volume raised - and insisted that it also be used in "Return of the King" (2003).
Wilhelm occasionally pops up on television shows. Besides its use in a number of shows produced at Warner Bros. in the '50s and '60s, including "Maverick," it was in episodes of "The X-Files," "Angel," and "Family Guy." It has found its way into a few commercials as well - for Dell Computers and Comcast.
Source: http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/