The Wilhelm Scream Has Been Used in Over 400 Films

That familiar, high-pitched yelp of agony you've likely heard in an action sequence is more than just a generic sound effect; it's a treasured inside joke among sound designers. The sound was originally one of six short, pained cries recorded for a scene in the 1951 Western *Distant Drums*, where a man is dragged underwater by an alligator. Though uncredited, the voice is widely believed to be that of actor and singer Sheb Wooley, famous for the song "The Purple People Eater." The effect was filed away in the Warner Bros. stock library, gaining its iconic name two years later when it was used for a character named Private Wilhelm who is shot by an arrow in *The Charge at Feather River*.

For decades, the scream sat in obscurity until it was rediscovered by legendary sound designer Ben Burtt in the 1970s. A fan of classic Hollywood sound, Burtt incorporated it into the first *Star Wars* film as a personal signature and a nod to the sound editors who came before him. He continued to use it in subsequent *Star Wars* and *Indiana Jones* films, and soon, his colleagues and protégés began including it in their own projects as a tribute. This tradition spread throughout the industry, turning the Wilhelm scream into a beloved audio Easter egg for filmmakers and a fun discovery for sharp-eared audience members.