The Wilhelm scream first appeared in the 1951 film Distant Drums and got its name from a character called Wilhelm in a later film, The Charge at Feather River. Sound designer Ben Burtt rediscovered the recording and reused it in Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and other blockbusters, turning it into an in-joke among film sound editors. From there it spread into games, cartoons and online videos, where it now works as a familiar audio Easter egg that instantly signals a dramatic, over-the-top fall.