Talk:Wilhelm scream/Archive 1

"There is it again"

Heard it again on a Family Guy episode "Long John Peter" (2008) Midways throught the maddness Peter decides to become a pirate and in the process of pilfering an Englishmans car loaded with crates of tea and spices (???), the cannon mounted to Peter's car accidently shoots through a utility pole and the guy working atop it "aaaAHHHHHHhh" his way to the bottom. I laughed my head off. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.190.100.6 (talk) 05:19, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

"Used naturally"

What does it mean for the scream to be "used naturally", e.g. film sound cognoscenti are particularly impressed when it is used naturally ? --Yath 03:02, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)

--- Totally excellent entry! --Wetman 02:44, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)

The whole quote goes "but film sound cognoscenti are particularly impressed when it is used naturally in films such as A Star Is Born (with Judy Garland) and A Goofy Movie" (at least now, when I'm writing this), which I'd guess is due to the fact that the sound carries an overt aura of despair and fear, it is considered a nice feat when being used in light comedies without sounding forced. Quentin Tarantino had a weird joke in his Reservoir Dogs movie, where one of the main characters happened to push another guy while running away from a failed attempt of bank robbery. It sounded very explicit and out of place and, although deliberate, I guess that is the opposite of used naturally. 85.226.122.222 18:03, 4 December 2005 (UTC)

Okay...

I didn't hear a tarzan yell "during in" Star Wars: Episode III. --A.J. 03:22, 25 May 2005 (UTC)

It's heard during the battle above Coruscant. One of the cannons in the Republic battle ships explodes and you hear a clone trooper emit the Wilhelm Scream.

Dragons light the tarzan yell is in the battle of the wookie planet when a wookie swings onto a droid tank like thing Viperix 00:04, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

Sound link addition

I've found this link to a download of a .wav file of the wilhelm scream: [1] Would wikipedia get in any copyright trouble merely for linking to it? I'm aware there's already a link to a site hosting the scream but it's in Real Audio format, which isn't as commonly used/available as a wave file. We should link to a format the majority of wikipedia readers will be able to access. I'll replace the RealAudio link with the .wav link in a few days if no one objects. -Kasreyn 00:52, 30 December 2005 (UTC)

Appearance in Doom

no object makes this sound in Doom, and the sound effect of dying monsters is the same, no matter where and how they die. But I recall there's a sound effect similar to the Wilhelm scream, if not indeed the same, in Wolfenstein 3D .. I think the soldiers in the white uniform make this sound. Please change this! Because I'm not going to bother to learn how to. 19:30, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

I agree. I'm a huge Doom fan and I've never heard this in the game before or any references to it. I can't remember this in Wolfenstein 3D either, but I don't have it and it has been a long time since I last played it. I've removed it. - Drahcir 00:41, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

Definitely. I used to edit DOOM Pwad files for fun after school. I've listened to every sound file in the game, and the Wilhelm scream is not among them. -Kasreyn 06:55, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

I believe the game you're thinking of is Star Wars: Dark Forces, a "Doom clone" produced by LucasArts. IIRC, the sound is used when the player falls a great distance to their death. Travisseitler 01:52, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

No, Kyle emits another stock scream. Evil Egg (talk) 21:21, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

Request clip

Could Wikipedia get a sound clip of this? Iamvered 02:21, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

We don't need one. The first link under "External Links" is a direct link to a .wav file of the sound effect. Already taken care of. Kasreyn 02:15, 21 April 2006 (UTC)

The .wav file does not consist solely of a voice, but includes a thumping sound. Is that actually part of the sound effect, or is this a mix reflecting one particular usage? Richard K. Carson 05:43, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

The sound effect is just the scream. The thumping is something else from the media which this particular instance of the scream is from, and is not audible when the scream is used elsewhere. Rob T Firefly 05:24, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

Merge? List of media using the Wilhelm scream

What is the point of the list of uses on this page when a page already exists that provides a much more thorough list here? Why don't we just delete the list on this page and provide a link to the other page? Kakashi-sensei 22:44, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

I agree, The page above which is linked to in this article has a more complete list of films and other media with the scream. The list on this page should be taken off and just leave the link in place. Anyone have a problem with that? Viperix 00:04, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

What happened to the "List of media using the Wilhelm scream" page? It seems like an excellent reference for Wikipedia to have. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.194.156.15 (talk) 18:12, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

It was WP:AFDed unfortunately Viperix 03:06, 15 November 2007 (UTC)

Bummer. It was a useful reference when explaining the significance of the scream to somebody. Doesn't make much sense to delete it.dougmc (talk) 21:26, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

The Movie Franchises section seems redundant, as the contained movies are provided in the usage list itself. Perhaps it should be deleted. --Leirith (talk) 04:31, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

Difference

Hardly can find a difference from any scream and this kind of scream. May be a more continous "aaa" but not much for do any difference. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.112.11.95 (talk • contribs)

Really? I think its pretty distinctive. I remember hearing it when I was a kid (in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies) and being mildly confused as to why Stormtroopers sounded the same as Nazis. :) EVula // talk // ☯ // 19:22, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Female "Wilhelm"?

There's a female scream that's been used in a ton of films and tv shows, but I can't seem to find anything about that scream. It's a high-pitched scream that kinda goes "AAAAHH..AH" (a normal length scream followed by a short scream). The Grinch (with Jim Carrey) was on ABC tonight and I heard the female scream I'm talking about in that. I've also heard it in the movie "Hackers", when they do a quick cut to a clip from a black-and-white movie of a woman being strangled. I've heard it a million other times as well. Does anyone have any info on the female scream? meateebon 04:43, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

No clue, never heard it. I don't have either of those movies on DVD, so I can't easily check on it. EVula // talk // ☯ // 05:42, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

I know exactly what you mean. It is definitely a female voice It goes "AAAAAAAA AAh AAh," and during the first grouping the tone drops three times, and then remains the same for the following two short-screams. If you ever see a cheapo gadget that uses a scream sound (think hallowen) I bet you that's it. I have also heard it on more than one occasion in tv, commercials, and even a movie or two.

I first noticed this female scream SFX in the Barry Levinson movie 'Wag the Dog' - when they are editing together some fake news reel footage of a girl running from a war torn village. They add in the female scream SFX and play the effect a few times over. Since then it's been driving me crazy and I have noticed the SFX in a lot of other movies - it is quite distinctive, and also not very realistic. I recently noticed it in 'The People Vs. Larry Flynt' when Woody Harrelson gets shot.

You can hear the first scream without the two trailing sounds in The Last King of Scotland during the fight in the hospital (just before the line "this is a hospital, you get your men out now")

I clicked on this article thinking it was the female version as well. If anyone has any info on that, I'd like to read about where it came from, which project it originally appeared in, etc. Alanlastufka 17:19, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

I too am curious about that scream, I hear it in so many movies, and it's very distinctive. I hope someone can find it. Eldaran 01:20, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

Ok, It's been two months, but I happened to be watching Heroes and sure enough there was the "female wilhelm." Anyone know anything about this? I swear I hear it everywhere: http://plaza.ufl.edu/findley/Female%20Wilhelm.wav Eldaran 22:02, 3 May 2007 (UTC)

It was also used in an episode of The Lone Gunmen and I believe in The Butterfly Effect.--Wraithdart 00:09, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

It's also been used by Prince on the album "The Gold Experience" in the opening track "P Control". I've been womdering about this scream ever since I heard that album in 1995... Is it really so that nobody knows the origin of this one? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.159.138.231 (talk) 23:12, 9 January 2008 (UTC)

Wilhelm Screams

According to http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/, "six short pained screams were recorded in a single take", some or all of which have been or are now used as stock screams. The article currently assumes there is only one version of the scream, so it may be useful to update it to reflect this information. That site provides audio files of takes 1, 3, and 4:

http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/wilhelmtk1.html

http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/wilhelmtk3.html

http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/wilhelmtk4.html

Take 4 is the "classic" Wilhelm Scream, while the other two are somewhat less distinctive.

Ruyn 02:56, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

See Also

There is a human sound I miss in the See Also section. In many of the Looney Tunes cartoons, there is a strange sound the characters can sometimes make. It was also used by one of the villains in the live actiom movie The Goonies. Someone who knows what I'm referring to? 193.217.193.62 02:22, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

Are you talking about this one? --Quess 08:26, 13 October 2007 (UTC)

List of movies

This section is a mess, I cleaned it up somewhat, but it really needs some organizing or even maybe eliminated. Ruffnerr 00:41, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

• I agree it was a mess, I cleaned it up a lot. Added info and put the format back the way it was.

The format is By decade first and then alphabetical. Each movie has a little blurb about where the sound effect is located and I tried to keep the blurbs one line short. If the Effect is in the movie but has no blurb the date the movie was released is there. If it has a blurb then no date is needed since if someone really wants to know the release date, all they have to do is click the link. Not all of the links will work right, but I will work on them.

The format:

• Movie title (the scream is located, blah blah...)

Easy enough. Finally, One can list information on here using source based research, WP:OR from primary sources. Easily verifiable. Viperix 19:29, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Good Job! Ruffnerr (talk) —Preceding comment was added at 22:02, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

Time Stamp Proof

It has been confirmed to not be in numerous films that keep popping up. If you think you find the scream in one of these media then, in the spirit of consensus, write a timestamp here in this section and if someone confirms your timestamp then we can re add the media. Viperix 19:50, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

• 300 Not in the rage of Artemis scene
• Aaahh real monsters Wrong scream
• Always Doesn't even have a spot to fit, No scream
• Broken Arrow Wrong Scream
• Command and conquer Wrong scream
• Dark Forces Wrong scream
• Date Movie Scream not present.
• Doom Wrong Game
• Explorers Went through about ten times, No Wilhelm.
• Fun with dick and Jane Wrong scream
• Legend of Suriyothai
• A Man Apart
• Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Mans Chest Not in the maelstrom scene or the monkey blows stuff up scene.
• Robot Chicken Wrong scream
• The Simpsons Movie No Scream
• Spider-Man Not in the bone saw scene
• Spy kids 3D Only one guy falls, he does not emit a Wilhelm
• StarCraft Wrong scream
• Thirteen Days Not in this movie
• Titanic Not in this move
• Transformers Wrong scream (may be imitation, but needs a source for that)

Some of the above (such as Aaahh real monsters, Broken Arrow, Dark Forces, Robot Chicken, and StarCraft) had a similar scream, which some call the "Youraagh", others call the "Academy scream", and is occasionally known as "Weird scream from Broken Arrow". --Ryanasaurus0077 (talk) 01:37, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

usage rights

There should be a section about who owns the copyright and what kind of usage license is required for (non-)commercial applications, etc. Does anyone know this info? 68.107.83.19 (talk) 05:16, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

• First, new comments go at the bottom of talk pages. Second, no one owns the copyright, and I am guessing no license since its used in many non commercial applications. This is an old sound effect. Viperix (talk) 21:04, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

The list

What's this I hear about the list being deleted over and over again? I thought we were learning something from those lists? Or do I have to recreate the Wilhelm scream category (with an admin's permission, of course)? --Ryanasaurus0077 (talk) 22:39, 11 January 2008 (UTC)

As you can see from the history User:Ryulong and User:Can't sleep, clown will eat me Both seem to think the previous AFD for another article (list of media using the wilhelm scream) also applies to this article. Although that article was deleted for being a Directory. Obvois to me is that this is a parent article and is less complete without the list. The policies quoted by Ryulong do not really apply, especially when one reads WP:PSTS closely enough and sees that As a primary resource the movies themselves are the references. Finally I guess he did not read WP:IINFO before quoting it, since the list obvoisly does not fit into anything there. I think once they lose interest there will no longer be a problem. So I guess I will wait a week or so, and recreate the list here at that time. 24.161.131.22 (talk) 22:27, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

Need Verification

This discussion page needs a repository of titles where the scream is suspected but not yet verified. I recommend we do it here.

I just watched Logan's Run and I am pretty positive I heard the Wilhelm during the gun battle after Logan's interrogation. This occurred between 1:52 and 1:53 into the movie (using the time counter from Netflix online movie service which I was watching). Can someone verify? Keebler71 (talk) 03:06, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

This isn't needed at all. It's really not important to list every movie the scream appears in... it's overlisted already. Some guy (talk) 07:30, 3 March 2008 (UTC)

Creaky hinge?

There's a creaky gate/hinge/whatever sound effect that is used in a lot of movies, but it's not listed in the common sound-effect cliches in this article. I'm wondering if there is an article about it, I have no idea what the name would be. I know I've heard it all over the place, but the most recent movie that keeps coming to mind is Planet Terror (in which it occurs twice). Some guy 18:17, 5 August 2007 (UTC)

Addendum: It was also in Rush Hour 3, when a metal gate was being opened. Some guy 19:50, 15 August 2007 (UTC)

Also heard in a very recent Altoids commercial, when they open the access hatch to unjam the 'copy machine'. Some guy (talk) 04:30, 10 March 2008 (UTC)

Original Research

This article was lacking in sources to begin with, but I added the {{OR}} tag after seeing this edit summary: [2].

Wikipedia is not a publisher of original thought, films should only be listed here if a reliable source says they contain the scream, not WP editors. Bazzargh (talk) 14:03, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Let's come to consensus on "The List"

What would one need to place as citations to prevent the usage list from being deleted? I found the list both informative and amusing, and although I can't personally verify that each reference is in fact a Wilhelm scream, I can believe that an honest person watched the movies in the list, and recognized the very characteristic sound and placed an addition to the list following his find.

It seems an overt abuse of opinion to simply remove the whole list as a violation of "citation needed." On the other hand, I can also understand the need for reliable sources in an encylopaedic article. In this case, it seems that short of contacting the sound editing crew for each movie in the list, there is no way to verifiably determine whether each instance is, in fact, the genuine Wilhelm. If the list is going to be disallowed, the external link with the list should stay (with the caveat that the list is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate).

GoldStripes (talk) 17:23, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

• You would need reliable independent sources which attest that the Wilhelm scream is notably used in that item. We deleted the list article as failing verifiability, the only way to fix that is with robust sourcing. Simply re-adding it here does not fix the problem: unsourced content is fair game for removal, always, everywhere. Guy (Help!) 11:24, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
  • That's it! I'm going to have to recreate the List of media with the Wilhelm scream category (with an admin's permission, of course) if this edit war keeps raging over whether or not the list should be kept! Now kiss and make up! --Ryanasaurus007 (talk) 01:56, 10 May 2008 (UTC)

• That's perverse - it's removed from the article as unsourced, so you're going to re-create the deleted unsourced list instead? How does that fix the problem? The way to fix it is to source it. Guy (Help!) 11:08, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

I am removing three items from the list as I can find no proof that these movies even exist:

• The Magic School Bus returns to the Movie (1997) After rafiki says STOP! littlefoot Tries to Stop and went in a Train and Dorthy Ann Runs Away and Littlefoot Crashes through the window
• Pokemon: Sora's Grand Adventure Movie (2002)
• Pokemon: Ash Ketchum meets Bugs Bunny (2005)

I can find no entries for them on IMDB, and searches on Google turn up no results indicating that these movies exist. In addition, the characters Rafiki and Littlefoot referred to in the "Magic Schoolbus" movie are from other animated movies (Lion King and Land Before Time, respectively). If someone else can provide proof the movies exist and that the scream's in them, then let's add them back in. --Sakanaya (talk) 07:39, 20 May 2008 (UTC)

I think this list should be taken to someone's userspace and off this page until it can be sourced properly, as right now this is nothing more than a vandal magnet. Spell4yr (talk) 13:33, 29 May 2008 (UTC)

The Audio Link

The Audio link confuses me greatly. It tells me I do not have the right software to run it, yet I can listen to any Youtube audio file I choose. Very strange. Is there a Wilhelm on Youtube to be linked to? Lots42 (talk) 01:21, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

Alligators?

From this article: "In a tribute to its origins, the clip was used in the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when the villain Mola Ram was, in fact, eaten by alligators."

From Crocodile: "The larger species of crocodiles can be very dangerous to humans. The Saltwater and Nile Crocodiles are the most dangerous, killing hundreds of people each year in parts of South-East Asia and Africa. American Alligators, and possibly the endangered Black Caiman, are also dangerous to humans."

Since the Indiana Jones movie is set to India, it's very unlikely that Mola Ram were eaten by alligators, since the dangerous aligators eat people in America. Jraregris 08:16, 5 December 2005 (UTC)

Is this an article about Indiana Jones movie errors? 66.109.99.18 23:18, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

IIRC they used alligators instead of crocodiles in the film, YES, even though it is set in India. 24.24.244.132 (talk) 04:52, 11 July 2008 (UTC)

Again with the list being deleted?

Someone obviously doesn't like the list being on this page, or he wouldn't have deleted it again. Why did it happen this time!? --Ryanasaurus007 (talk) 16:42, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

The notes by JzG seem to indicate that the rampant inclusion of unsourced material was the cause. I, for one, am glad. The list had been a haven for hopelessly incorrect entries—many of which I've repeatedly had to delete—that its deletion seems preferable to the further dissemination of misinformation. Gaiole (talk) 00:33, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

I tried to warn them with a hidden message, but no, they wanted the list OFF the page, so they included unsourced material! --Ryanasaurus0077 (talk) 15:04, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

1951?

I might be wrong but did it not appear a LOT in the original, 1933 version of King Kong? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.185.37.169 (talk) 20:54, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

Suggestion

You know what would be neat? If there was a professionally written article out there we could link to that 'spells out' the sound for us without speakers. I know, if a wiki-editor types in 'It sounds like 'Yaaaaarggh' ' it'd be deleted for being Original Research (Dun dun duuun). But I can wish for some sound editor to spell it out. And a pony. I want a pony. Lots42 (talk) 12:57, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I know! Go tell Jimbo, he'd like to know your suggestions :)--Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 07:47, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

There's another...

It goes like AH! UEH! UEH! AH! or something. It's on Dexter's Lab when he turns into a spiderman, and also on Ned's Declassified when Gordy is mauled by a weasel. What's that called?--Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 20:39, 12 August 2008 (UTC)

Oh, and on Ned's Declassified, it's the one when Cookie makes friends with the weasel, makes an obstacle course for the weasel, but the weasel prefers to eat Gordy's face, at which point, Gordy emits the scream.--Editor510 ^{drop us a line, mate} 07:45, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

The Boba Fett Scream

Until recently, I thought the Wilhelm Scream was the scream Boba Fett makes when he falls into the Sarlac. I’ve also heard it in many other places, the two that I can remember being: the Star Wars video game Dark Forces (the Doom-like first-person-shooter game) when the player character falls out the window of the space station, and the opening credits to the sketch comedy Truthhorse.

The reason I thought this was the Wilhelm Scream was that it said so in an issue of a Star Wars magazine dedicated solely to Boba Fett. Several weeks ago a friend showed me a short film on the net about the Wilhelm Scream that’s from the old Western and I was surprised that it wasn’t the TIE-fighter-engine-ish “YYYEEEAAARRRGGGHHH” scream I thought it would be.

What do you call that scream? Felicity4711 23:04, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Are you referring to this one? --Quess 05:35, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Quess...I have been wondering forever where that sound effect came from. I was trying to research it and found this entry for Wilhelm and was disappointed when I heard it and it was not what I was looking for. I thought at once that it was from something in Mortal Kombat (either game or movie or soundtrack) but can't find anything about that. If you can find anything out about it, PLEASE update. Nilicain 08:27, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

It is used in the game Starcraft, when you click on the Academy, one of the Terran buildings.--Wraithdart (talk) 00:38, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

I've created a page on this at Gut-wrenching Scream And Fall Into Distance—Wasabe3543 02:20, 24 June 2008 (UTC)

Why was that page deleted? I recognize that scream a lot more than the Wilhelm Scream.--Jmg124 (talk) 19:48, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

use

is there not a list of all the films tv etc that have used the scream? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.107.70.60 (talk) 00:52, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

Steve Lee's website is considered the authoritative Wilhelm reference. It doesn't have every single occurrence, but it's the best VERIFIED list anywhere. Gaiole (talk) 23:53, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

So how is the Steve Lee list "verified"? I find no references or other proof, and several of the entries there are on the list above of "incorrect" entries. I applaud the effort to keep this from becoming an uncontrolled list of every movie with a scream SFX in it, but I'm not sure how we can baldly cite "used in over 120 movies" and reference the Steve Lee list, which is in itself unreferenced. I have considered changing this to "thought to have been used", or "believed to have been used", or "claimed to have been used" -- the Lee list would be a valid cite for any of these statements -- but hate to add weasel words. Jgm (talk) 13:18, 22 October 2008 (UTC)

Theoretically, if one follows references backwards, eventually one reaches a source that is the original source of the information, and therefore doesn't reference anything. Steve's list is most certainly an original effort. Steve is a well established member of Hollywood's sound production community, and has many credits on IMDb, quite a few of which are on films containing the Wilhelm scream. He personally knows many of the sound people using the scream in productions. He has been interviewed for several nationally broadcast television and radio features on the scream. And director Joe Dante (many of whose films contain the scream) affectionately calls him "Captain Wilhelm." So while his list may not contain every single instance of the scream, it is indisputably an authoritative reference. Gaiole (talk) 17:28, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

What is going on here!?

How can we include virtually ANYTHING on this article if the admins commit executive meddling on this page by removing anything that has to do with anime and video games? --Ryanasaurus0077 (talk) 13:39, 24 October 2008 (UTC)

It does NOT require adding every single occurance of the Wilhelm scream. Just mentioning it pops up in many films, television programs and video games is enough (which is already in the article). You were adding anime titles in the article that supposedly use the WS, but who can verify that this is true? What you need for that are reliable sources to quote from. Furthermore, I don't think it adds to the article to include individual titles, and even if so, movies will be more well-known then anime titles. Patrick1982 (talk) 23:25, 25 October 2008 (UTC)

About time I got a straight answer! But really, why can't I even say that several anime and video games include the Wilhelm scream? --Ryanasaurus007 (talk) 02:09, 26 October 2008 (UTC)

Um, I think a point was missed. For lack of better phrasing, Patrick is not saying you can't, he's agreeing with you. Lots42 (talk) 04:24, 27 October 2008 (UTC)

Maybe the problem is simply the reference to anime. Aren't anime titles a subset of films, television and video games? Including it in a general list of media is kind of pointless, like saying "the scream appears in many films, television programs, and romantic comedies." Gaiole (talk) 17:33, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

The keyword here is "English-language". Anime is made in Japan, not America, though most anime that have been dubbed have been dubbed either here or in Canada. Therefore, English-language TV and films are separate from anime because anime is produced in Japan. --Ryanasaurus0077 (talk) 21:33, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

The key word "English-language" is yours and yours alone. The article never distinguished between media in different languages. I think it's wonderful that you like anime, but it's still unsourced and extraneous. Gaiole (talk) 03:39, 5 November 2008 (UTC)

What if I told you that Japanese animation is separate from American animation in style? --Ryanasaurus0077 (talk) 21:25, 5 November 2008 (UTC)

I would say that point is irrelevant and would be more germane in an article about animation, rather than one about sound effects. Gaiole (talk) 00:34, 6 November 2008 (UTC)

Why would you say that? --Ryanasaurus0077 (talk) 00:35, 6 November 2008 (UTC)

If you have to ask that, an explanation would be a waste of time. Gaiole (talk) 15:05, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

Why is this still up, but some aren't?

I've noticed the page for Gut-Wrenching Scream And Fall Into Distance has been deleted, but this remains up. Both are quite notable, but if one is taken down, shouldn't all be removed as well? Ancientflounder (talk) 01:41, 22 December 2008 (UTC)

I don't see how that lays out logically. Just because similar articles went away doesn't mean this one has to. Lots42 (talk) 06:28, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

But, if the other one had no relevance for being a "inside joke amongst sound technicians", this falls into that same category. Deleting one and leaving another up is hypocritical.Ancientflounder (talk) 13:50, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Again, confused. I believe Wilhelm Scream is noteable for being in so many shows and movies, not for being an 'inside joke'. I am not familar with the other sounds, but if they are recognizably in many, many shows, they should have their own article. Lots42 (talk) 22:19, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Here's some links to clarify: Several examples of its use. Discussion about its deletion. I think it is as notable as the Wilhelm Scream, since it appeared through many films and shows during the 90s. It certainly didn't deserve its fate and it is often mistaken for the Wilehlm anyways, which would give it some major attention.Ancientflounder (talk) 12:02, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

The Wilhelm is significantly more notable than those... rootology (C)(T) 06:32, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Command and conquer

This "scream" is not used in any of the Command and Conquer series, though similar sounding screams are heard that appear in other media (such as the original Unreal game)
—Preceding unsigned comment added by Mikes2 (talk • contribs) 23:56, 17 August 2006

The scream is used in Starcraft though. I believe used as a sound preview for the Ghost character. Minnesota cold (talk) 09:10, 22 May 2009 (UTC)

Ninja Gaiden Commercial

Featured in latest Ninja Gaiden commercial... Lots42 (talk) 09:03, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't think it is. Sounds more like Howie Long.
203.134.146.126 (talk) 12:59, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

Primeval

Should some mention be made of the fact that the BBC show Primeval features the Wilhelm Scream at least once in every single episode? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.27.215.58 (talk) 21:13, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

It's not worth listing, as lots of TV shows do this. See The Middleman for example. A note on the article for the show may be better, or else we'll have a massive trivia list here. rootology (C)(T) 04:59, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

If you are right, and it is featured in every episode, it mos likely would be considered notable due to its prevalence and influence on the show

Zobango (talk) 20:35, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Might be noteable for the -show's- article. Lots42 (talk) 20:34, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

Bet it's been proven to be Wooley

We have a ref marked up to render as

Times article in which Sheb Wooley's widow states her belief that her husband was the man behind the scream

My intention is not to fix the rendered text.
(That should be done -- she doesn't say it in the article: Jack Malvern says in the article that she "confirmed", when apparently asked a leading question, by someone -- apparently not Malvern -- from The Times (of London), without clarifying whether she said "Uh huh" and hung up, or asked first "Which answer will make you go away and leave an 84-year-old woman in peace?" Not a reliable source for this purpose, nor what it's described as. Tho of interest.)
Rather, i'm hoping someone with the appropriate knowledge will undertake the research to find the probably already published, much more definitive information, which scientifically establishes how unlikely it is that anyone else could have been the voice actor for that. My confidence that it's already out there is based on the fact that determining would make a great project for student, or more likely, a team of students at an electrical, mechanical, or acoustical engineering college, or a first-rate vo-tech school, or wherever forensic investigators get their professional certifications. It's catchy, and it's sufficiently typical in technical content to real-world problems; it's probably been done more than once, and probably someone has described the results, at least to a journalist, and maybe in a professional journal on science pedagogy or in a refereed technical journal.
Some of the techniques used probably build on stuff done for the first time by Bolt Beranek & Newman when they tried to recover the 18½ minute gap in the impeachment of Nixon; that was probably before the fast Fourier transform and digit audio, and much less of a herculean task now, which gives the instructor opportunities to talk about the rate of technological change in the field. And i'm not smart enuf to be the first to think of using it pedagogically.
--Jerzy•t 05:13, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

LOTS OF GAMES

Maybe this link can be added in... at least as an external link:129.31.68.170 (talk) 23:39, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

Just an fyi, my virus scanner detected a trojan at that site. Be careful. --Zikar (talk) 03:13, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

I deleted the link, as it's a security hazard. Zeldafanjtl (talk) 00:10, 19 March 2010 (UTC)

Notable, or meme?

The notability of this article have been questioned by an IP. LA Times, March 24, 2010 Wednesday Home Edition, has this to say in an article about "Iron Man 2": The pained wail has appeared in more than 140 movies, according to Hollywood historian and sound editor Steve Lee, who maintains a list of them at hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm. Among the films: "Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Batman Returns," "Reservoir Dogs," "Toy Story," "Spider-Man," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," "Hellboy" and "Poltergeist." (You can see and hear clips from some of them at latimes.com/scream.)

How did this quirky tradition get started? According to Lee's account, it began as a standard effect for a 1951 movie titled "Distant Drums" starring Gary Cooper. The film is set in Florida in 1840 and the sound was used when a soldier is bitten by an alligator while wading through the Everglades.

For two years, the sound clip sat in silence in the Warner Bros. archives, until it was used again in a movie called "The Charge at Feather River." This is when the sound acquired its famous name: A soldier named Pvt. Wilhelm lets loose with the scream when he takes an arrow in the leg.

The Wilhelm Scream really caught fire with legendary sound supervisor Ben Burtt, who created the sound effects for "Star Wars" and won Oscars for his work on "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Burtt began using the sound snippet as a kind of calling card, and then other sound specialists, as an inside joke, found excuses to sneak it into their projects. Kar98 (talk) 04:29, 27 April 2010 (UTC)

What is this scream?

Theres is another scream that is used in dozens if not hundreds of movies and even CDs, where a woman screams, stops for a second and screams again a bit longer. What is this one called? --KpoT (talk) 09:11, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

There is also the Youraagh Scream which is used in a ton of stuff, doesn't however fit your discription. -- Grumbel (talk) 13:54, 24 September 2010 (UTC)

Also known as the Howie scream? -- Nik Rolls (talk) 08:08, 26 February 2011 (UTC)

I think the scream you're referring to is the one they're talking about here. The only one of the links in the post that still work is this one where you'll hear the scream in the background at the 0:09 mark. I've been unable to track down any more information than this. -- Nik Rolls (talk) 08:19, 26 February 2011 (UTC)

Here we go again

To whom it may concern: We do not have to add in every instance it is in a work. Lots42 (talk) 07:19, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

Neutrality?

Why is this article nominated to be checked for neutrality? In fact, it has no opinionated viewpoints at all. If I am wrong, please correct me, but I am considering deleting that tag. --24.34.249.135 (talk) 21:24, 26 March 2011 (UTC)

Springfield Rifle (1952) use of "Wilhelm" scream

At about the 54 minute mark is a distinctive use of the so-called Wilhelm scream. As this was a Warner Bros film, surely THIS is the first use from the Warner Bros sound library, not The Charge at Feather River (1953), and the (un-editable) opening paragraphs have it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jbrumbles (talk • contribs) 22:40, 22 July 2011 (UTC)

List of Uses of the Wilhelm Scream

Does anyone think we should have this as a section, if not, an article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by TheMovieManiac (talk • contribs) 20:56, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

No. Turns into a list of unconfirmed cruft very quickly. If specific uses are noted by reliable sources (sayin a article about stock sounds, or a review of a specific film or game, for example), we could probably mention that. Millahnna (talk) 21:15, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

We just need like five, maximum, confirmed uses in -this- article. Lots42 (talk) 04:15, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

You were around when it got cleaned up last time right (late last year I think...your screenie looks familiar)? I don't think we had anything in there that was reliably sourced beyond the claim that Lucas overuses it. I vaguely recall at the time that I went looking for some sources we could use to do that with (list a small handful of specific instances) but all I found were non-notable blogs and fan boards. Don't suppose you ever found anything? Millahnna (talk) 05:25, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Have you not checked Steve Lee's site at http://www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm.html? It's the most thoroughly researched source available, listing over 200 uses of the scream. He's Hollywood's curator of all things Wilhelm. Gaiole (talk) 16:24, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

Bam! Have this on the article. We don't need a million more on this one. As it is currently, the article is awesome. Lots42 (talk) 23:10, 6 January 2012 (UTC)

Do you think there's any possible way………

Do you think it could be possible by any chance to discover the man who performed the Wilhelm scream and the man who performed the Howie scream? Or did they never reveal the name of the men who recorded making these sounds? • GunMetal Angel 19:34, 18 May 2012 (UTC)

Caption

The caption for the audio file at the top of the page reads, "aaaaAAAAAHHHhhhh! (screaming)". Do we have a source for this? The Times article for instance says, "Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggghhh!!" 50.90.153.8 (talk) 17:26, 24 January 2013 (UTC)

Earlier use?

If IMDB is used to refer to the first use in 1951, then perhaps the earlier use in Kim (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042644/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv) in 1950 is equally valid. 99.245.248.91 (talk) 06:33, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

Listing

To me the page should include a list of appearance of the scream in media. Ogoorcs (talk) 14:38, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

That has been debated at length before. The list is long and most of the entries amount to people hearing what they believe to be the Wilhelm scream and adding it to an online list somewhere. If an authoritative source can be found for any appearance then fine, but IMDB is not authoritative and neither are most other potential sources for this kind of factoid. Guy (Help!) 21:21, 12 April 2014 (UTC)

there are numerous compilation videos on youtube that clearly show wilhelm screams in various films and TV episodes. Just as a point of interest, would you consider links to video source material (not necessarily youtube) to be definitive? human voice recognition is just as good as human spelling recognition and I feel these video sources would be basically more reliable than many many other wikipedia references to offline material that is not easily verified at all, and more reliable than many other wikipedia citations that are whitewashed onto the pages where they are used (A380 is a good example, if you go read the sources of the citations, you see a great deal of negative material about the A380, but only positive scraps are allowed onto the page). Yes it would be great if wikipedia was perfect and perfectly cited, but my question asks if you are defending the idea that pointing to online video sources of the Wilhelm scream would somehow be less reliable than the rest of wikipedia? I'm not looking for an answer to the endless debate about how long lists should be, I'm simply asking what makes whatever number reliable. 68.173.49.156 (talk) 01:31, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

chunk of time missing

The article is missing mention that the scream was used in a good number of warner brothers productions throughout the 1950's and onward. As it stands, the article jumps from a couple of original uses and then to the later revival, leaving the impression that it was the revival that created the phenom, but in between it got used a lot. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.173.49.156 (talk) 23:24, 18 January 2015 (UTC)

Good eye spotting missing content that needed to be added TheWinterSoldier14 (talk) 14:16, 10 September 2015 (UTC)

Posited list

Perhaps we could begin compiling a list of films here on the talk page. Rather than export it to the page itself, perhaps a list of Wilhelm scream uses or similarly titled article could be made from it once enough references are acquired.

I believe one criteria, to establish easy confirmation of a film, is to either list the rough minute mark (this can be difficult to people watching a film on TV with commercials since they have to subtract some minutes) it occurs. This can be aided by a description of what is happening in the film before/during/after the scream to help locate it.

Otherwise barring that, a link to a clip from the movie itself. As for interpretation, we could talk it out here is someone disagrees about it being a Wilhelm scream or not.

I hear this literally ALL THE TIME in shows... kept meaning to look it up but put it off. Had I known of a list I could have dropped the data at the moment, unfortunately it's very easy to forget what you were watching when you heard it.

Right now I am watching Gremlins 2 and it's past the halfway mark and I heard it when a guy dangling from a balcony fell off. This happens in the cafe right after the smart gremlin is telling investors to invest in canned food and shotguns.

I realize there is an IMDB list at the bottom but we can't rely on IMDB to do our work for us. For one thing, that list is horribly undescriptive and unsourced. It doesn't say anything about when/how the scream occurs, something Wikipedia could do. 174.92.135.167 (talk) 03:58, 12 January 2016 (UTC)

Legends of Tomorrow episode "Marooned" last quarter, guy getting sucked out of airlock after Rip tells Gideon to do it. Anyone confirm? 184.145.18.50 (talk) 07:14, 4 March 2016 (UTC)

Batman vs Superman around 1:00:38, when Batman run his batmobile into the vilain's car on the docks.

we have been removing such unsourced lists for years. We only include those examples identified as significant by reliable independent sources. See WP:IINFO. Guy (Help!) 19:25, 3 April 2016 (UTC)

Film list incomplete

The scream has been used in hundreds of films since 2000 and the list stops at 2000. For example, '30 Days of Night' — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.113.40.209 (talk) 03:07, 13 December 2016 (UTC)

Is this user trying to say that the Wilhelm Scream has only been used in movies from the year 2000 and beyond? That is incorrect. The Wilhelm Scream has been used in movies since the 1950s. I found that in the John Wayne movie, The Green Berets, it was used at least twice; surely a rarity. Plus, I've never seen it listed anywhere else, but there is a Wilhelm Scream in the early 1970s movie Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes. HaarFager (talk) 20:26, 3 September 2018 (UTC)

No, actually your reading of it is incorrect. Only you said that. As you can clearly see, the original said "has been used ... since 2000", while you said the user said "has only been used ... since 2000" - which is a completely different statement. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2603:6000:AA02:AE32:222:69FF:FE4C:408B (talk) 22:27, 23 October 2020 (UTC)

Crocodilians

Crocodiles and alligators are related, but not closely related as claimed on this page, with recent DNA evidence showing the relation to not be as close as earlier beliefs We humans are more closely related to squirrels than crocodiles are to alligators; when primates split from rodents, alligators and crocodiles had been on divergent paths for millions of years. The closest common ancestor for crocodiles and alligators was 87 million years ago, in the age of dinosaurs. The first alligator appeared 40 million years later, and crocodiles didn't exist until 11 million years ago. That crocs and gators look more like each other than their closer relatives caimans (for crocodiles) and gavials (for alligators) is a case of parallel evolution. 68.9.139.24 (talk) 04:54, 26 June 2017 (UTC)

umm... i think you are at the wrong article... beepborp (talk) 05:24, 5 June 2021 (UTC)

References

Original scream source

It seems that the scream has been digitized from the original session (article says "does not exist").

Not sure if it is "one of" sessions or the real one mentioned in the article. Hopefully, somebody with more understanding can incorporate this: https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/675810/

The story introducing it is at: https://blog.freesound.org/?p=1515 /Alex/ (talk) 19:08, 16 March 2023 (UTC)

Sheb Wooley citation?

The citation for the claim that Sheb Wooley was the source of the Wilhelm Scream, a link to an article from The Times of London asserting it contains an interview with Wooley's widow where she claims he is the one who recorded it, does not load, nor are there any records of it in the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Can anybody find a more current link/record of the cited article in question? STUART (talk) 22:22, 8 April 2023 (UTC)

Mandalorian

How can the effect be "resurrected" by Favreau in the Mandalorian if the article goes on to list many movies prior to it? There is no evidence the effect wasn't in use. 204.237.50.199 (talk) 11:52, 9 April 2023 (UTC)

Back In The Day...

Back when movies were shot on film, and sound was dubbed analog, there were a LOT more people who touched a given scene than do these days. Very often things from the film era that are now credited to the director or a star were actually done by some guy in the post department. These things tend to get a life of their own these days and as a result, a relatively small number of folks get credit for work done by a whole lot of others.

I knew many of the guys in Optical Effects at MGM back in the 70's, and it was not uncommon for them to punch up a shot that didn't work as filmed. This was done without discussion or oversight. When films started being released on VHS, a lot of things didn't look so great. Whoever happened to be doing the film dub that would be used as the master for the tape would sometimes add fancy effects that looked "better" on the small screen than the cinematic version.

These days even a half-assed director wants to exercise full control, so we have a lot being done by fewer people than formerly. And these people get paid well and have huge egos compared to the guys who used to work in the non-air-conditioned warehouses that were MGM and the other major studios.

Why am I going on about this? Because it's possible that the scream wound up in Star Wars because Cy Harley thought it was a good joke. Who? Exactly. 2600:1700:6AE5:2510:0:0:0:24 (talk) 23:48, 2 July 2023 (UTC)