The Wilhelm Scream

The Wilhelm scream is a frequently-used film and television stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. The effect gained new popularity (its use often becoming an in-joke) after it was used in Star Wars and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games.[2] The scream is often used when someone is falling to his death from great height.

The Wilhelm scream has become a well-known cinematic sound cliché, and is claimed to have been used in over 140 films.

3 thoughts on “The Wilhelm Scream”

  1. There’s a cry of a red tailed hawk that was used in a ton of westerns. It became an audio symbol to indicate that the scene is in the Rockies.

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