Now where did I hear that before???

I think I may written earlier about Hollywood’s inside joke. It’s called the “Willhelm scream.” But I’ve found a little more information about how it’s linked to New Mexico.

The “Wilhelm scream” is believed to have been first recordedby actor Sheb Wooly as a sound effect in the 1951 Western “Distant Drums.” It has been plugged in as a sound effect for more than 400 films and TV series, including several shot in New Mexico.

You’ve no doubt heard it many times during dramatic movie scenes where someone is shot, blown up, attacked by an alien, eaten by an alligator or crashes in a car or an airplane.

It was a favorite of many producers including George Lucas, who placed it in most of the Star Wars movies. It also appeared in the Lord of the Rings series and in the Indiana Jones movies, one of which (“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of of the Crystal Skull”) was partially filmed in New Mexico in Deming, near Las Cruces and Ghost Ranch. Opening scenes of the movie are in an old hangar at the Deming airport, once a military base during World Wai II.

Although Wooly was not a main character in the “Distant Drums” movie, he was around when the film went through the editing phase and reportedly offered his voice for the distinct scream. Ironically, Wooly the actor was best known for his 1958 recording of the song “Purple People Eaters.” (“It was a one eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater…”)

The scream was first chronicled in a 1953 movie “The Charge at Feather River” in which a character named Wilhelm is shot in the leg with an arrow.

Here it is for your listening pleasure:

If you Google “Wilhelm scream,” you’ll find multiple entries about its fascinating history.

And with my limited research capabilities, I’ve determined that the following films shot partially or almost exclusively in New Mexico used that sound clip. If you’re bored and have time to do more research to find more, let me know and I’ll do an update:

“The Lone Ranger” with Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer

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