Alan Smithee and the Wilhelm Scream: the big secrets of film (LINK)
April 21st 2008 18:03
Just a couple of pieces of film-making trivia i heard recently that i thought i would share . . .
Who is Alan Smithee?
Alan Smithee (or the alternate spellings Allen Smithee, Alan Smythee, and Adam Smithee) is a pseudonym used from 1968 to the 2000s by film directors who wished to be dissociated from a film. It was used when the director proved to the satisfaction of a panel of members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that the director was not able to exercise creative control over the film. The director was also required to keep the reason for the disavowal a secret.
The first known movie to use the Smithee pseudonym was Death of a Gunfighter (1969). During its filming, Richard Widmark was unhappy with director Robert Totten. He arranged to have Totten replaced by Don Siegel. When the film was finished, neither Totten nor Siegel wanted to be credited with the result.
In 1997, the comedy An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn, starring Eric Idle, was released, in which a director wants to disown a film but cannot because his real name is Alan Smithee. As a result of the publicity around this movie, and especially around the fact that director Arthur Hiller asked for and got an Alan Smithee credit for it, the Directors Guild discontinued the Alan Smithee credit.
Another affair that may have played a role in the discontinuation of the pseudonym had to do with the release of American History X, where director Tony Kaye asked for a Smithee, but did not receive it. One of the stated rules for the process was that the director was not allowed to comment publicly about why he or she was taking his or her name off the film; Kaye had already spoken publicly about his issues with the re-edit and, thus, was ineligible.
After these issues, the Guild decided to choose a pseudonym for each case separately, rather than re-use a particular pseudonym.
What is the Wilhelm Scream?
The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. Actor-singer Sheb Wooley is considered to be the most likely voice actor for the scream, having appeared on a memo as a voice extra for the film. The scream has been popularised in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films where a baddy is shot and/or falls from a height and the scream kind of trails off. I didnt realise it was the same recording used over and over but when you watch the following videos you realise how many times you have listened to that scream.
I half expect if i push someone out a window that this MUST be the sound that they would make as it is so programmed into my brain . . . all due to an elaborate in-joke by the nerdy sound editing community! Fascinating!
the history of the Wilhelm Scream . . .
The Wilhelm Scream Compilation . . .
Who is Alan Smithee?
Alan Smithee (or the alternate spellings Allen Smithee, Alan Smythee, and Adam Smithee) is a pseudonym used from 1968 to the 2000s by film directors who wished to be dissociated from a film. It was used when the director proved to the satisfaction of a panel of members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that the director was not able to exercise creative control over the film. The director was also required to keep the reason for the disavowal a secret.
The first known movie to use the Smithee pseudonym was Death of a Gunfighter (1969). During its filming, Richard Widmark was unhappy with director Robert Totten. He arranged to have Totten replaced by Don Siegel. When the film was finished, neither Totten nor Siegel wanted to be credited with the result.
In 1997, the comedy An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn, starring Eric Idle, was released, in which a director wants to disown a film but cannot because his real name is Alan Smithee. As a result of the publicity around this movie, and especially around the fact that director Arthur Hiller asked for and got an Alan Smithee credit for it, the Directors Guild discontinued the Alan Smithee credit.
Another affair that may have played a role in the discontinuation of the pseudonym had to do with the release of American History X, where director Tony Kaye asked for a Smithee, but did not receive it. One of the stated rules for the process was that the director was not allowed to comment publicly about why he or she was taking his or her name off the film; Kaye had already spoken publicly about his issues with the re-edit and, thus, was ineligible.
After these issues, the Guild decided to choose a pseudonym for each case separately, rather than re-use a particular pseudonym.
What is the Wilhelm Scream?
The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect first used in 1951 for the film Distant Drums. Actor-singer Sheb Wooley is considered to be the most likely voice actor for the scream, having appeared on a memo as a voice extra for the film. The scream has been popularised in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films where a baddy is shot and/or falls from a height and the scream kind of trails off. I didnt realise it was the same recording used over and over but when you watch the following videos you realise how many times you have listened to that scream.
I half expect if i push someone out a window that this MUST be the sound that they would make as it is so programmed into my brain . . . all due to an elaborate in-joke by the nerdy sound editing community! Fascinating!
the history of the Wilhelm Scream . . .
The Wilhelm Scream Compilation . . .
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Comment by Jason King
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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Artist Quirk
haha yeah i never realised either! but when you see a whole heaps in a row it all becomes apparent!
i discovered it when reading about quentin tarantino and the recurring motifs he uses across his films and they mentioned this "Wilhelm Scream" im thinking what on earth is that? and it turns out everyone is using it! lol
Comment by Miswanderlust
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Hipnotherapy
Very interesting! I love random movie trivia. Very enjoyable!
Mis
Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks, im glad you enjoyed it . . . i enjoy random movie trivia too!
thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment