Tarzan yell
The
Tarzan yell is the distinctive,
ululating yell of the character
Tarzan, as portrayed by actor
Johnny Weissmuller in the films based on the character created by
Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Although the yell ostensibly was that of Weissmuller, different stories exist as to how the
sound effect was created. According to the newspaper columnist
L. M. Boyd (circa 1970), "Blended in with that voice are the growl of a dog, a trill sung by a soprano, a note played on a violin's G string and the howl of a hyena recorded backward." According to
Bill Moyers, it was created by combining the recordings of three men: one baritone, one tenor, and one hog caller from Arkansas.[
1]
The Tarzan yell is often used for comic effect in later, unrelated movies, particularly when a character is swinging on vines or doing other "Tarzanesque" things. The sound clip used in the Weissmuller films has also been exclusively used for
animated series appearances of Tarzan, rather than having the actor providing Tarzan's voice for the series attempt to imitate the trademark yell.
For instance, the Tarzan yell may also be heard in:
*
The Carol Burnett Show, in which
Carol Burnett, the hostess, specializes in frequent renditions of the yell.
*
Harold and Maude, in which Maude performs the yell in an open field, Harold standing near their picnic blanket.
*
Octopussy, when
James Bond is swinging on vines through a
jungle in
India*
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, during the battle on
Kashyyk, voiced by a
Wookiee warrior; the pitch of it having been altered slightly to resemble the deep and gravelly voice characteristic of the Wookiee race.
*
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. This was actually the first appearance, in terms of production dates of the
Star Wars films, of the Wookiee version of the yell;
Chewbacca shouts it as he and a pair of
Ewoks swing from a vine onto the top of an
AT-ST. The sound effect was re-used for Episode III.
Ice Age: The Meltdown.
Scrat makes a yell that sounds familiar to the yell when he battles the piranhas and
SidThe Emperor's New Groove. Pacha does the yell while swinging on a vine in an attempt to save Emperor Kuzco from a pack of jaguars.
*
The Tarzan yell*
Wilhelm scream
