The Wilhelm scream, initially captured in 1951 for the film Distant Drums, is a standard sound effect. Since its creation, it has appeared in over 400 films and television shows. Possibly the most recognizable cinematic sound ever, it ranks alongside a specific recording of the call of the red-tailed hawk, the "Universal Telephone Ring," and "Castle Thunder." It is widely believed that actor and vocalist Sheb Wooley provided the scream. Six recordings of the scream were made, and Distant Drums utilized the fifth recording for the scene it was intended for, depicting a soldier being eaten by an alligator while his unit crossed a river.
The Wilhelm's resurgence in popularity is credited to Star Wars sound editor Ben Burtt, who located the original recording (which he discovered on a studio reel labeled "Man being eaten by alligator"). He named the sound after Wilhelm, a minor character who screamed in the 1953 film The Charge at Feather River. Its inclusion in Star Wars sparked an inside joke among some film industry sound designers, particularly at Skywalker Sound. Star Wars productions typically employ either Take 4, which fans refer to as the "classic" Wilhelm scream, or Take 3, although Take 1 has occasionally been used.
Jason Fry implied in his endnotes for The Essential Guide to Warfare that the Wilhelm scream was present in the holodrama The Charge at Feather Nebula.
On February 22, 2018, sound editor Matthew Wood announced that Lucasfilm had decided to discontinue the use of the Wilhelm scream after the release of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, opting to replace it with a new stock sound effect instead.