Two more Wilhelms used in The Empire Strikes Back, version 1 (again) and version 4. Interestingly, this is the second occurrence of version 1; the first can be seen here.
Sunday 28 September 2008
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, 1980 (Part 1)
Here we have an example of the first version of the Wilhelm Scream. The Empire Strikes Back also contains two other Wilhelms, both of which are covered in this clip.
Saturday 27 September 2008
Evidence Needed - Over The Hedge, 2006
I have been told by two people that the animated movie 'Over the Hedge' contains the Wilhelm Scream, but having now watched the movie twice I cannot find the scream. If anyone can tell me exactly where to find it in the movie, I would be very grateful. Please email me at wilhelmenthusiast AT gmail DOT com with the time the screams in the movie. Thank you.
Monday 8 September 2008
The Wilhelm Scream - A Short History
In 1951 a movie starring Gary Cooper was released called 'Distant Drums'. In it a man screamed whilst being eaten by an alligator.
During production of the 1977 movie 'Star Wars', sound designer Ben Burtt was searching archives for sound effects and came across the original recording of the screams from Distant Drums. Two of these screams, the 3rd and 4th screams from the recording session, were used by Burtt in Star Wars, the most famous of which is when a storm trooper falls from a ledge (see my earlier post about Star Wars to hear it).
Burtt continued to use the scream in many of his movies, and as other sound designers realised the scream was being recycled, a new trend began. It was something of an in-joke amongst Hollywood sound engineers, an average moveigoer wouldn't notice the same scream being used in most of the movies they watched, but the sound designers would.
The scream was named 'The Wilhelm Scream' after the character Wilhelm who uses the scream in the 1953 movie 'The Charge at Feather River'.
Sheb Wooley, a singer and actor, is thought to be the most likely person to have supplied the original scream. No definitive evidence has been found, but Ben Burtt's research into the subject certainly points to Wooley as the prime candidate.
With the Wilhelm Scream being more well-known by the general public than before, the scream is being used more and more and is now arguably easier to identify. If you spot the scream, please email me at wilhelmenthusiast AT gmail DOT com
During production of the 1977 movie 'Star Wars', sound designer Ben Burtt was searching archives for sound effects and came across the original recording of the screams from Distant Drums. Two of these screams, the 3rd and 4th screams from the recording session, were used by Burtt in Star Wars, the most famous of which is when a storm trooper falls from a ledge (see my earlier post about Star Wars to hear it).
Burtt continued to use the scream in many of his movies, and as other sound designers realised the scream was being recycled, a new trend began. It was something of an in-joke amongst Hollywood sound engineers, an average moveigoer wouldn't notice the same scream being used in most of the movies they watched, but the sound designers would.
The scream was named 'The Wilhelm Scream' after the character Wilhelm who uses the scream in the 1953 movie 'The Charge at Feather River'.
Sheb Wooley, a singer and actor, is thought to be the most likely person to have supplied the original scream. No definitive evidence has been found, but Ben Burtt's research into the subject certainly points to Wooley as the prime candidate.
With the Wilhelm Scream being more well-known by the general public than before, the scream is being used more and more and is now arguably easier to identify. If you spot the scream, please email me at wilhelmenthusiast AT gmail DOT com
Sunday 7 September 2008
Star Wars Holiday Special, 1978
Something of a rarity in the Star Wars franchise, the Star Wars Holiday Special is quite hard to come by. Google it, there is quite a detailed history about it. Please forgive the poor quality of the clip; it is the only version I could get.
As usual, it is the famous 4th version of the scream.
As usual, it is the famous 4th version of the scream.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, 1977
Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to present: the Wilhelm Scream that started it all. Well, it's not the first use of the Wilhelm Scream (that's the Gary Cooper movie 'Distant Drums' from 1951, which I will cover at some point soon) but the Wilhelm used in Star Wars in 1977 is the first time Ben Burtt used the scream, essentially starting the trend amongst sound engineers to use the scream in their productions.
This clip is also interesting as it uses not only the famous 4th version of the scream, but also the 3rd version. I had missed this in previous viewings of the film as this use of the 3rd version is very subtle, so I must credit Steve Lee and his comprehensive Wilhelm list for identifying it.
The 3rd version is more of an 'ohww' as opposed to the 4th version being a 'AAOOOHHWW', and occurs about a second before the storm trooper falls off the ledge, just as Luke Skywalker's blast hits him.
This clip is also interesting as it uses not only the famous 4th version of the scream, but also the 3rd version. I had missed this in previous viewings of the film as this use of the 3rd version is very subtle, so I must credit Steve Lee and his comprehensive Wilhelm list for identifying it.
The 3rd version is more of an 'ohww' as opposed to the 4th version being a 'AAOOOHHWW', and occurs about a second before the storm trooper falls off the ledge, just as Luke Skywalker's blast hits him.
Saturday 6 September 2008
Chevrolet Captiva, 2008
After hearing the Wilhelm used in an advert for the UK TV show 'The Sunday Night Project', it came as a surprise to hear the Wilhelm used in another TV advert only a few months later.
This is one of the adverts for the Chevrolet Captiva. The Wilhelm used is the classic 4th variation.
This is one of the adverts for the Chevrolet Captiva. The Wilhelm used is the classic 4th variation.
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