Hollywood, will you PLEASE retire the Wilhelm scream!? - Page 3

Jim Barg · 05-02-2005, 10:58 PM

Will it never end?! The Wilhelm Scream was used in tonight's season premire of "The Family Guy".

Seeing as how Family Guy's humor is built on the random use of pop culture, this instance is fine. (Got a huge chuckle out of me when I heard it.)

Mark Oates · 05-02-2005, 11:52 PM

That compilation is absolutely hysterical! It reminds me of an old gag about the British tv production company ITC (run by Lew Grade). They had a bunch of stock shots that productions could use. They included an owl (for night-time atmospheric shots) and best of all two sequences of cars going over a cliff into a quarry. One was a white Jaguar that somersaulted and disintegrated, and the other a red Jag that folded itself neatly in two on impact. Writers on the shows (like The Champions, The Saint, The Persuaders, My Partner The Ghost etc.) used to compete to see who could write the cars into their stories, and they used to double vehicles of any make (including, allegedly, a van).

Maybe Wilhelm is a bit overused, but I'd miss him. There are a lot more recognisable sound effects used in movies, and to be honest I'd be worried if the inclusion of a specific sound effect spoiled my enjoyment of a movie.

Robert Anthony · 05-03-2005, 12:42 AM

I'm trying to figure out how you'd phoeneticize the Wilhelm.

"ahAHHum!" maybe?

Jason Walstrom · 05-03-2005, 09:58 AM

I love the scream. Now for a sound effect that needs to go away forever? it would have to be the - - "Car horn coming then going" - - sound effect that is almost in every modern day movie that takes place in a city. Is it a sound we hear everyday in a big city? yes and no. we hear honks yes but to hear a car speeding by holding it's horn down all the time. this sound effect annoys me to no end lol.

todd s · 05-03-2005, 10:43 AM

I think it was used in CSI:Miami last night or at least in the promo for it.

Ian_H · 05-05-2005, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Will it never end?! The Wilhelm Scream was used in tonight's season premire of "The Family Guy". Is nothing safe from the (insert CASTLE THUNDER from post 43) WILHELM?!

Well the whole episode of Family Guy was referencing many movies so it was kind of appropriate.

--Ian

Holadem · 05-06-2005, 11:35 AM

It does annoy me that they slapped this scream unto a falling elf in TTT - thus robbing these baddasses of some of their kewlness.

I love the scream though.

--
H

Kevin M · 05-06-2005, 05:47 PM

Aw to hell with all this, LONG LIVE WILHELM!!!!!

...anyway...one of the links (of the ones that still work after three years that is) states that Wilhelm came from:

Quote:

A series of short painful screams performed by an actor were recorded in 1951 for the Warner Brother's film "Distant Drums." They were used for a scene where a man is bitten and dragged underwater by an alligator. The recording was archived into the studio's sound effects library -- and it was used in many of their films since.

...but I swear that is was used in the original 1933 King Kong, I haven't seen KK for many years (purposefully anticipating the DVD release....and still going....) but even back in the 80's when I first noticed old Willy thanks to VHS I still remember it being in KK.....if anyone has a copy of KK I suggest you watch it and keep an ear out for it.

Now I admit that in all likelihood I am probably wrong and it is just a similar scream but until the DVD comes out I will not be able to confirm nor contract this notion.

Peter M Fitzgerald · 05-06-2005, 06:37 PM

That "KING KONG" scream isn't the Wilhelm, but it did become a stock sound effect in several subsequent RKO films (possibly into the 1940s). I'm not sure if it ever had a special name (like "Wilhelm").

Fay Wray's screaming in KING KONG was also used several times in later RKO films (for when other actresses needed to scream, but didn't have the pipes for it).

I'm for the continued use of the Wilhelm. Long may it shriek!

JoshB · 05-07-2005, 03:09 AM

I just saw Kingdom of Heaven, and wouldn't you know it, it was used during the Seige of Jerusalem when

Spoiler:

Ravi K · 05-07-2005, 10:33 PM

I thought you were all talking about a certain scream, then when I watched the video I find out its not what I was thinking of at all! I think the one I was thinking of comes at the end of Broken Arrow when Howie Long falls. Its used a lot.

There's also a door opening sound that is ubiquitous. It sort of sounds like an airlock or somethin