The Star Wars Scream

im sure you all know what im talking about when i mention the star wars scream , in epI it was when one of amidaalas men got shot in the hangar , epIV it was when the stormtrooper fell of the ledge into the chasm , epVI when a henchman fall off jabbas skiff into the sarlaac , but as for ep's II & V i cant seem to remember it at all , i love the scream and it always gives me a laugh when i hear it in other movies , indiana jones for example , and it was also in kill bill volume 1 (most unexpected) was the scream in eps II & V ?does anyone know the origins of the scream ? was epIV the first time we all heard it or was it "borrowed" from another movie ? i have always been curious can anyone help me out ??

the origins are kept under tight security by the Big Burtt himself.
I believe EpIV was not the first one, that he took it from an older movie but I do not recollect where I heard it.

oh and the name for the scream is "Wilhelm Scream" ... makes me think Burtt had some non-PG-13 moments when he mixed that one 😉

It was origionally from a Cowboy movie called 'Shane' i believe

Lol that scream, I hear that all the time.

I heard it first when the Stromtrooper gets shot by Leia in the Death Star chasm scene in A New Hope.

Everytime I hear it, I think of Stormtroopers.

Maybe the whole "Stormtrooper cloning" thing is much bigger than we originally thought?

shit, that scream has been in so many movies i am quite sick of it.
its become a campy joke. i mean, its in ALOT of movies.

It does kinda shatter the realism when you hear THAT scream for the umpteenth time in yet another movie.

I'm sure I hear that damn thing in a 1/3 of all action movies - which are usually all the "big" ones.

The first known use of the Wilhelm scream was in "Distant Drums" (1951). It has reportedly been used in over 70 movies since then.

Look up wilhelm-scream in the IMDb "Keywords" search section for 56 examples. Some of them may surprise you!

Originally posted by PVS
shit, that scream has been in so many movies i am quite sick of it.
its become a campy joke. i mean, its in ALOT of movies.

i totally agree with you PVS i piss myself laughing evertime i hear it in a new movie , my mates and i all just look at each other and say "star wars scream" , i got a bit of a surprise when i heard it in kill bill tho i must say

It's not the only over-used sound effect either. I often hear the same "children laughing" sound in various movies. It can be heard in Episode 1 in the scene where Anakin is working on his podracer and his friends show up; the exact same laugh is heard again when they leave. I also recall hearing it in "Gladiator", when Maximus is dreaming of his home and the POV is zooming across the field from above.

Another common sound is a female scream used in "Wag the Dog". It's funny because in that movie, it's shown as a sound effect inserted into a phony video clip. I've heard it dozens of times since then.

Finally, there's the "crowd gasping" sound effect. I've heard this one in nearly every lamebrained-comedy trailer for the past five years, not to mention the movies themselves (when I'm forced to see them). It usually comes on the heels of the "comedian" delivering some unorthodox catch phrase or stunt in front of a bunch of people.

There's also a scream that a monster makes that i've heard a billion times.

Originally posted by roundisfunny
It's not the only over-used sound effect either. I often hear the same "children laughing" sound in various movies. It can be heard in Episode 1 in the scene where Anakin is working on his podracer and his friends show up; the exact same laugh is heard again when they leave. I also recall hearing it in "Gladiator", when Maximus is dreaming of his home and the POV is zooming across the field from above.

Another common sound is a female scream used in "Wag the Dog". It's funny because in that movie, it's shown as a sound effect inserted into a phony video clip. I've heard it dozens of times since then.

Finally, there's the "crowd gasping" sound effect. I've heard this one in nearly every lamebrained-comedy trailer for the past five years, not to mention the movies themselves (when I'm forced to see them). It usually comes on the heels of the "comedian" delivering some unorthodox catch phrase or stunt in front of a bunch of people.

http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/
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Here is a growing list of Wilhelm's appearances....

"Distant Drums" (1951)
1) Three Indians are shot, one after the other.
2) A man is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator.

"Charge at Feather River" (1953)
1) Wilhelm is struck in the leg by an arrow.
2) A soldier is hit with a spear.
3) An Indian is killed by a soldier with a knife and rolls down a hill.

"The Command" (1954)
An Indian is shot off his horse during an attack on the wagon convoy.

"Them!" (1954)
1) Giant ants attack the crew of a ship at sea.
2) James Whitmore is throttled to death by a giant ant.
3) A soldier is struck by falling debris in the sewer.
_
"A Star is Born" (1954)
1) While Judy Garland tries to find her way out of a theater during a screening, a Wilhelm is heard in the movie that is playing there (actually "Charge at Feather River."😉
2) Someone screams in the rehearsal record of "Somewhere There's a Someone" that Judy Garland plays for James Mason.

"Land of the Pharaohs" (1955)
Victims are thrown to alligators.

"The Sea Chase" (1955)

"Helen of Troy" (1956)

"Sergeant Rutledge" (1960)

"PT 109" (1963)
A crew member of PT-109 screams as a Japanese destroyer smashes through the patrol boat.

"Harper" (1966)
Harper (Paul Newman) strikes Puddler (Roy Jenson) in the head with a rasp.

"The Green Berets" (1968)
Enemy soldiers are thrown into the air by an exploding grenade. "That's what it's all about, Mr. Beckworth!"

"The Wild Bunch" (1969)

"Chisum" (1970)
_
"Impasse" (1970)
1) Morrison (Burt Reynolds) and a thug fall to the bottom of some stairs during a fight in a warehouse.
2) A moment later, Morrison and another thug come crashing down from a balcony.

"The Scarlet Blade" (1974)

"Hollywood Boulevard" (1976)

"Star Wars" (1977)
A stormtrooper falls into the chasm before Luke and Leia swing across.

"The Star Wars Holiday Special" (TV Special, US air date: 17 November 1978)
A stormtrooper falls over the edge of Chewbacca's family treehouse.

"More American Graffiti" (1979)

"The Big Brawl" (1980)

"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)
1) A rebel soldier screams when his laser gun dish is hit and explodes during the Hoth battle.
2) Chewie knocks a stormtrooper off the platform of the carbon freezing chamber (barely audible).

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)
1) A Nazi soldier is thrown from the back of a truck into the windshield of a jeep.
2) Another soldier falls from the left side of the truck, ripping the canvas as he falls.

"Swamp Thing" (1982)
The Swamp Thing grabs a thug and tosses him out of his speedboat.

"Poltergeist" (1982)
Little Carol Ann watches a soldier killed in a war movie after her mom has changed the channel from just static.

"Return of the Jedi" (1983)
A victim is slashed by Luke's lightsaber falls and into the Sarlac pit.
(ALSO: Ben Burtt imitates a Wilhelm during his cameo in the film when he is knocked over a ledge by Han Solo.)

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984)
1) While trying to get the vial of antidote, Indy crashes into the nightclub band, and a musician screams.
2) Indy shoots the driver of Lao-Chi's car.
3) Mola Ram is eaten by alligators.

"Explorers" (1985)
Someone is heard screaming during an explosion in the drrive-in movie "Starkiller."

"Howard the Duck" (1986)
Howard yells "Banzai!" after he knocks a duck hunter out of his boat who has just screamed a Wilhelm.

"Nutcracker: The Motion Picture" (1986)

"Spaceballs" (1987)
John Candy uses a section of tubes to bounce several laser bolts back at guards, and each of them screams when they're hit - the last one lets out a Wilhelm.

"Willow" (1988)
1) Soldiers crash their carriage after chasing the heroes.
2) The Brownies manage to trigger a huge spear shooter that hits several enemy soldiers.

"The Star Trek Adventure" (Universal Studios, CA, 1988)
A crew member on the bridge of the Enterprise falls during the obligatory "bridge tilt" shot.

"Always" (1989)

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989)
A Nazi's grenade explodes, throwing a solider down a hill.

"Legion of Iron" (1990)

"Gremlins 2" (1990)
A victim covered with gremlins falls off a ledge.

"Beauty and the Beast" (1991)
Just after Chip says "You guys gotta try this thing!" someone screams on an exterior shot of the castle during the battle.

"Mom and Dad Save the World" (1992)

"Batman Returns" (1992)
Batman punches a clown and throws him out of his way.

"Aladdin" (1992)
Villagers flee in terror as the Genie (controlled by Jafar) lifts the palace into the air.

"Reservoir Dogs" (1992)
1) Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino) is shot in his car.
2) Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) pushes someone out of his way while while running down the sidewalk.

"Matinee" (1992)
A couple Wilhelms can be heard in the movie within the movie, "MANT!"

"Young Indiana Jones: The Trenches of Hell" (TV, 1992)

"Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert" (TV, 1992)

"Young Indiana Jones: The Phantom Train of Doom" (TV, 1993)

"Evening Class" (1993)

"Young Indiana Jones and the Attack of the Hawkmen" (TV, 1995)

"A Goofy Movie" (1995)
During the song "On the Open Road," Goofy's car strikes a construction scaffold.

"Toy Story" (1995)
Buzz Lightyear is knocked out the bedroom window.

"Die Hard: With a Vengeance" (1995)
John McClane (Bruce Willis), while driving through Central Park (literally), almost hits a mime - before confessing that "maybe" he was aiming for him.

"Dante's Peak" (1996)
Paul plunges to his death from a collapsed bridge as it's carried away by mud and lava.

"Hercules" (1997)
Villagers flee in terror as their city is attacked.

"The Second Civil War" (Made for Cable, 1997)
A News Net crew watches a John Wayne movie on a big screen TV while waiting for action at the Idaho border.

"The Fifth Element" (1997)

"Titanic" (1997)
When the engine room of the doomed ship is flooding, a crew member screams when a jet of water hits him.

"Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (Special Edition)" (1997)
A stormtrooper is thrown off a bridge on Coruscant during the final celebration.

"Lethal Weapon 4" (1998)
A gunshot turns a terrorist's flamethrower into a jetpack, and he screams as he flies towards a gas truck - which explodes upon impact.

"Small Soldiers" (1998)
When the action figures are "killed" throughout the film, a Wilhelm can usually be heard.

"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999)
Two security officers, one after the other, are hit in the chest and scream Wilhelms during the blaster battle in the Naboo hangar.

"The X-Files" Episode #7X19, "Brand X" (TV, first US air date: 16 April 2000)
A man is killed with a bayonet in an old war movie on TV.

"Little Mermaid II" (Direct-to-video, 2000)
A crew member jumps from his ship and screams just before part of an iceberg falls on it.

"Thirteen Days" (2000)
When an American jet screams over a Russian ship and the deck crew all react and duck, a Wilhelm is heard (just barely).

"The Kid" (2000)
While Russ is talking to Amy, someone screams on TV in a movie that Rusty is watching.

"Golden Dreams" (Disney's California Adventure, 2001)
During an earthquake, a native American screams as he falls to the ground.

"Just Visiting" (2001)
A knight is hit in the face with an axe.

"Tomcats" (2001)
Near the end of the film, a cello player at a charity fundraiser screams when Michael (Jerry O'Connell) collides with him.

"Osmosis Jones" (2001)
Thrax throws someone out of their car.

"Planet of the Apes" (2001)
1) Tival (Erick Avari) is body-slammed to the ground by an ape soldier.
2) General Thade (Tim Roth) hurls two humans into the air at once.
3) Using the sharp point of his helmet, Thade stabs a human.

"The Majestic" (2001)
Someone screams when part of the theater's neon sign explodes.

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition" (2001)
When V'ger fires at the Enterprise, a crew member in the engine room screams when they are hit by an energy bolt.

"Wet Hot American Summer" (2001)

"Life or Something Like It" (2002)

"The Salton Sea" (2002)
Kujo (Adam Goldberg) is hit by a bus.

"Spider-man" (2002)

"Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" (2002)
A ship explodes when it arrives at Coruscant at the beginning of the film.

"Scorched" (2002)
Shmally crashes her motorcycle in the desert, and Doleman screams as he falls off.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002)
A soldier falls during the Helm's Deep battle.

"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (2002) Chuck watches TV (and hears a Wilhelm there) after returning home from a barfight.

"Angel" Episode 64, "A New World" (TV, Original Air Date: 6 May 2002)

"Robbery Homicide Division" Episode #13, "Absolute Perfection" (TV, 2003)
Tommy Cheung is squashed by a bus in the episode’s teaser.

"Cradle 2 the Grave" (2003)

"Agent Cody Banks" (2003) A guard falls off a balcony and through a glass ceiling.

"Peter Pan" (2003)

continued:

"Tears of the Sun" (2003) Two Wilhelms can be heard in the film when rebel soldiers are blown up in separate scenes.

"A Man Apart" (2003) In a raid by DEA and Mexican drug agents on a Tijuana nightclub full of drunken cartel honchos and gunmen, a Wilhelm is heard when one of the agents is hit by gunfire.

"Texas:_The Big Picture" (IMAX, 2003)

"Dell Computers - PC Dreams" TV Commercial (May 2003) One of the Dell Interns is repeatedly dropped through a trap door in a dream about how Dell computers are tested.

"The Animatrix: Matriculated" (2003)

"Once Upon A Time In Mexico" (2003)

"Under the Tuscan Sun" (2003)
After moving into her villa, Frances experiences a terrible thunderstorm. Listen very carefully when her washing machine is struck by lightening...

"The Legend of Suriyothai" (2003) A soldier is pulled down from the battlements during an assault on a fortress.

"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003)

"Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2003)

"Looney Tunes: Back in Action" (2003)

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003)

"Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!" (2004)

"Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" (2004)

"Hellboy" (2004)

"Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (2004)

"Paparazzi" (2004)

"Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004)

"Taxi" (2004)

"I Am David" (2004)

"Team America: World Police" (2004)

"C.S.I. - N.Y." Episode #105, "Grand Master" (TV, Original Air Date: 27 October 2004) At the beginning of Act 2, the scream is heard during a flashback of a man stabbed in the neck.

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" (2005)

http://www.nerf-herders-anonymous.net/WilhelmScream.html

Heres a web site for it. that sound always give me a laugh

There's also another scream used in movies that sounds like a long "yeeeeearrrrrrrrrgh!".

You always hear it when someone is shown falling a LONG distance to their death.

I have also noticed the children laughing sound in loads of movies. That one makes me cringe. Sounds so fake. I heard it Episode 1 and reminded me of Sesame street, stupid dubbing.

There's also the Godzilla roar, I've heard that used in loads of monster movies. I seem to remember the Green Rangers Dragonzord doing the same noise too.

Another over-used sound effect is one of a baby crying. It's very distinct and it's used about 9 times out of ten a baby is shown in a movie/TV show - mainly because babies cannot cry on cue and/or maybe their scream is too high a pitch for the mics to pick up convincingly.

I personally would like to know if Wilhelm gets a royalty check for this. 😂

Originally posted by Jedi Priestess
I personally would like to know if Wilhelm gets a royalty check for this. 😂

He's dead, Jim.

And if he were alive....
...

...

no.

His voice was put in a public sound library.

And Wilhelm wasn't even a person. That was the name og the character who first used the scream.

thanks for that PVS

Thought of a few more "audio cliches":

the "werewolf howl".....Owooooo...ow-ow-owoooooo (fades)--heard in every scary and schlock movie/cartoon for decades, usually when the hero approaches the spooky mansion during a full moon.

the "grunting thud"--heard countless times in the series "Kung Fu". Every time Kane threw a guy to the ground, you'd hear that thud. I've also heard it in several movies/TV shows of that era, but none that I can remember off the top of my head.

Another male yell---it's hard to describe...it's not the "yeeeeearghhh" mentioned earlier, but it's probably just as common. If you ever get the chance to watch the show "Strangers with Candy" on DVD, check out the opening sequence when they are looking at an educational film. Just before the opening credits, they show three guys plunging into a swimming pool, and that scream is heard.

The lightning/thunder crash (mentioned by tpaquin)--usually accompanied by the wolf howl, the same exact thunderclap was heard simultaneously with the lightning bolt (which meant that lightning must be really, really close by).

I would go into gunshot audio cliches, but there are two many to mention. Suffice it to say that, if you watch cop shows in the 70s and 80s, you heard them often enough to recognize them.