The Wilhelm Scream: Hollywood’s most iconic sound effect

May 30, 2017
20 mins

Episode Description

When it comes to movie screams, what’s the first one you think of? Is it a scream that evokes a sense of fear, pain, or maybe even… humor? Perhaps you immediately think about a famous “Scream Queen” or a specific scene from a movie. But you may not realize that the most famous scream in Hollywood has a name—and it’s been used over and over and over in countless films, television shows, and commercials. What makes it so good? And how did it become a filmmaker favorite? Featuring Steve Lee, sound designer, film historian, and creator of the Hollywood Sound Museum


Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced by Defacto Sound.

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Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/wilhelmscream

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