View source for Wilhelm scream

{{Top|real}}
The '''Wilhelm scream''' is a stock sound effect first recorded in [[1950s#1951|1951]] for the movie [[Wikipedia:Distant Drums|''Distant Drums'']]. It has been featured in over 400 movies and TV series since. Alongside a certain recording of the cry of the [[Wikipedia:Red-tailed hawk|red-tailed hawk]], the "Universal Telephone Ring" and "Castle Thunder," it is probably the most well-known cinematic sound cliché. It is believed to have been provided by actor/singer [[Wikipedia:Sheb Wooley|Sheb Wooley]]. The scream was recorded in six takes, with ''Distant Drums'' using the fifth take for the scene for which it was recorded, in which a soldier is devoured by an alligator while his platoon crosses a river.

The Wilhelm's revival came from ''[[Star Wars]]'' sound designer [[Ben Burtt]], who tracked down the original recording (which he found as a studio reel labeled "Man being eaten by alligator"). He named it after Wilhelm, a minor character who emitted the scream in the [[1950s#1953|1953]] movie [[Wikipedia:The Charge at Feather River|''The Charge at Feather River'']]. Its use in ''Star Wars'' was the beginning of something of an in-joke amongst some sound designers of the film industry, especially at [[Skywalker Sound]]. ''Star Wars'' media most commonly uses either Take 4, which has become known among enthusiasts as the "classic" Wilhelm scream, or Take 3, though Take 1 has sometimes been used as well.

In his endnotes for ''[[The Essential Guide to Warfare]]'', [[Jason Fry]] hinted that the Wilhelm scream was uttered in the holodrama ''[[The Charge at Feather Nebula]]''.<ref name="JFT">{{Tumblr|tumblrurl=http://jasonfry.tumblr.com|url=post/23039847571/eg-to-warfare-endnotes-pt-7|tumblrname=Jason Fry's Dorkery|postname=EG to Warfare: Endnotes Pt. 7|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214090809/http://jasonfry.tumblr.com/post/23039847571/eg-to-warfare-endnotes-pt-7}}</ref>

On [[February 22]], [[2018]], sound editor [[Matthew Wood]] revealed that [[Lucasfilm Ltd.|Lucasfilm]] has decided to not use the Wilhelm scream anymore following the release of [[Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens|''Star Wars'': Episode VII ''The Force Awakens'']] and instead replace it with a [[The George|new stock sound effect]].<ref>{{Cite_web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/film/2018-02-22/a-long-running-star-wars-tradition-has-been-put-to-rest|title=A long-running Star Wars tradition has been put to rest|author=Ling, Thomas|date=2018-02-22|work=RadioTimes|publisher=RadioTimes|archivedate=20180602044947}}</ref>

==Appearances==
[[File:Wilhelm_comic.jpg|thumb|300px|WikiWorld comic depicting the history of the Wilhelm Scream]]

===Films===
*{{Film|I}} ([[Naboo]] soldier shot in the [[Theed Hangar]], Take 3; another Naboo soldier 14 seconds later, Take 4)
*{{Film|II}} (Naboo guard falling from the ramp of the exploding [[J-type diplomatic barge]] on [[Coruscant]], Take 3)
*[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film)|''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'']] (At [[Christophsis]], a [[clone trooper]] who hit a [[battle droid]] too hard with his hand, before he was hit by the droid, Take 4 slowed down; Later, at the monastery on [[Teth]], after having recovered [[Rotta]], a clone trooper is hit when an [[All Terrain Tactical Enforcer|AT-TE]] cockpit explodes from the just-arrived [[Separatist Droid Army]]'s fire, Take 4)
*{{Film|III}} (knocked-back clone trooper on the [[Guarlara (Venator-class)|''Guarlara'']] during the broadside battle with the ''[[Invisible Hand]]'', Take 4)
*{{Film|IV}} ({{Audio|Wilhelm.ogg|stormtrooper shot by Luke Skywalker}} prior to the chasm swing aboard the [[Death Star]], Takes 3 and 4 in quick succession) (this was the scream's debut in the ''Star Wars'' franchise)
*{{Film|V}} (Rebel soldier as a turret is destroyed by an [[All Terrain Armored Transport]], Take 1; when [[Chewbacca]] throws a [[stormtrooper]] down right before [[Han Solo]] is put into carbonite, Takes 1 and 4)
*{{Film|VI}} ([[Weequay]] falling into the [[sarlacc]] pit, Take 4; another [[skiff]] guard falls into the sarlacc one minute later, Take 4; [[Colonel]] [[Dyer]] knocked off a catwalk by Han Solo in the [[Endor]] shield bunker [Ben Burtt portrayed the character and mimicked the Wilhelm scream himself]; stormtrooper lifted by crowds on Coruscant, Take 4)
*{{Film|VII}} ([[First Order]] [[Stormtrooper (First Order)|stormtrooper]] hit by an explosion aboard the ''[[Finalizer]]'', as [[Finn]] and [[Poe Dameron]] attempt to escape in a [[TIE/sf space superiority fighter|TIE fighter]], Take 4)

===TV series===
*''[[Star Wars: Clone Wars]]''
**[[Clone Wars Chapter 4|Chapter 4]] (Durge shoots a trooper sniping at him, Take 3)
**[[Clone Wars Chapter 12|Chapter 12]] (a clone trooper being blown away by a seismic tank, Take 4)
**[[Clone Wars Chapter 17|Chapter 17]] (a trooper gets thrown around by an invisible force, smashing his head on a tree limb, Take 3)
**[[Clone Wars Chapter 24|Chapter 24]] (General Grievous shoves a trooper through a window, Take 3; clone troopers falling off a building after being attacked by [[IG-100 MagnaGuard/Legends|IG-100 MagnaGuards]], Take 4)
*''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]''
**"[[The Zillo Beast]]" ([[Hawkeye]] is hit by the [[Zillo Beast]]'s foot, Take 4)
**"[[Death Trap]]" (a couple of clone troopers are sent flying into space after the air vent opens, Takes 1 and 4)
**"[[Monster]]" (in the ambient noise during [[Savage Opress]]' transformation, Take 4)
**"[[Citadel Rescue]]" (during the space battle, a clone trooper aboard an exploding Republic vessel, Take 4)
**"[[The Unknown]]" (A [[501st Legion]] [[Clone trooper]] with a shield was shot, Take 1)
**"[[Dangerous Debt]]" (a [[Pyke guard]] thrown by an explosion)
**"[[Old Friends Not Forgotten]]" (One of a Mandalorian super Commandos Soldier beaten by [[Ahsoka Tano]], Take 3; later, [[Bo-Katan Kryze]] sends one of a Mandalorian super Commandos soldier flying with his broken jetpack, Take 1)
**"[[The Phantom Apprentice]]" (One of a Mandalorian super Commandos gets shot by a Clone Trooper, Take 4)
*''[[Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion]]'' (a stormtrooper hit by [[Ezra Bridger]]'s [[energy slingshot]], Take 4)

*[[The Book of Boba Fett|Star Wars: ''The Book of Boba Fett'']]
**"[[Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land]]" ([[Order of the Night Wind|Night Wind]] assassin being flipped by [[Fennec Shand]] onto an energy shield, Ben Burtt imitation)
**"[[Chapter 7: In the Name of Honor]]" ([[Pyke]] being thrown backwards by the [[Boba Fett's rancor|rancor]], Take 4)

===Other media===
*''[[The Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' ([[Stormtrooper/Legends|stormtrooper]], when thrown off the balcony of [[Chewbacca/Legends|Chewbacca]][[Chewbacca's home|'s home]] by [[Han Solo/Legends|Han Solo]], Take 4)
*''[[SPFX: The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (when the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms eats a police officer, Take 4)
*[[Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (video game)|''Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire'' video game]] (when an enemy stormtrooper is shot off a ledge)
*''[[Star Wars: Republic Commando]]'' (when one of the [[Clone trooper/Legends|clone troopers]] is shot by [[B2 super battle droid/Legends|super battle droids]])
*''[[Star Wars: Bounty Hunter]]'' (some enemies when killed)
*''[[Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike]]'' (stormtrooper shot by [[Luke Skywalker/Legends|Luke Skywalker]], seen in a trailer)
*''[[Star Wars: The Force Unleashed]]'' (one stormtrooper pushed off of an [[Imperial Dropship Transport/Legends|Imperial dropship transport]])
*[[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (video game)|''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' video game]] (twice during [[Battle of Utapau/Legends|Battle of Utapau]]: one of the clone troopers is killed by a [[Blaster/Legends|blaster]]; another battle droid is shocked)
*''[[Star Tours: The Adventures Continue]]'' (A [[scout trooper]] falls off the [[speeder bike]] after getting hit by a tree)
*''[[Star Wars Battlefront]]'' (some [[jumptrooper]]s when killed)
*''[[Star Wars Battlefront II]]'' (some enemies when killed)
*''[[Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance]]'' (A stormtrooper is shot)

===Non-canon media===
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game]]'' (when Obi-Wan or Anakin dies during the ''Battle Over [[Coruscant/Legends|Coruscant]]'' level)
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga]]'' (same as the original ''LEGO Star Wars'' game: when Obi-Wan or Anakin dies during the ''Battle Over Coruscant'' level)
*''[[LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars]]'' (in the Clone Pooper Trailer, while the clone trooper was firing two pistols)
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out]]'' (Two [[Imperial Starfighter Pilot|TIE fighter pilots]] fall in space after their [[TIE/LN starfighter|starfighters]] got destroyed.)
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales]]: [[Crisis on Coruscant]]'' (during the Separatist meeting on [[Geonosis]], when [[Ki-Adi-Mundi]] attacks [[Nute Gunray]] with [[the Force]])
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures]]: [[Race on Tatooine]]'' (at the beginning of the episode when [[Dengar]] steals the [[cloud car]] on [[Bespin]])
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'' (AT-ST driver dropped out of the walker by [[Han Solo]] on [[Endor]]; a stormtrooper knocked down by X-wings on [[Takodana]]; [[FN-2199]] when Han Solo shot him using [[Chewbacca]]'s bowcaster)
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars]]''
**"[[The Good Stuff!]]" (After Roger sends his luggage carrier driving away, although he didn't need it, before it crashed, Take 4)
*''[[LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga]]'' (??)

===Non-Star Wars media===
*[[W:c:disney:Ralph Breaks the Internet|''Ralph Breaks the Internet'']] (Vanellope Von Schweetz sends away a [[Stormtrooper (First Order)|stormtrooper]] in a buggy that transports to Buzztube when she presses her pop-up ad against him.)

==See also==
*[[Wilhalm Skrim]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{WP|Wilhelm scream}}
*[http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_020901_wilhelm.html Radio report about the Wilhelm scream, with transcript and audio examples of uses of the scream]

{{Interlang
|de=Wilhelmsschrei
|es=Grito Wilhelm
|ru=Крик Вильгельма
}}

[[Category:Star Wars culture]]