thunderclap … Another very esoteric sound effect is what I call a ‘Wilhelm.’ This is a man screaming on a recording that has been used exclusively by Warner Bros. for about twenty-five years. It’s been used in many Westerns and horror films. I call it a Wilhelm because one of the first films it was used in was a Western called Charge at Feather River [1953], where a cavalry private named Wilhelm gets an arrow in the leg and screams—this particular scream was dubbed in for his voice although he didn’t really make the sound. I had an idea that perhaps the first time the scream was used was in a
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