| The Charge at Feather River | |
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Promotional poster advertising the release of the film in 3-D
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| Directed by | Gordon Douglas |
| Written by | James R. Webb |
| Produced by | David Weisbart |
| Starring | Guy Madison Frank Lovejoy Helen Westcott Vera Miles Dick Wesson Onslow Stevens Steve Brodie James Brown |
| Cinematography | J. Peverell Marley |
| Edited by | Folmar Blangsted |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3.65 million (US)[1] |
The Charge at Feather River is a 1953 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas. It was originally released in 3D with many arrows, lances, and other weapons flying directly at the audience in several scenes.[2]
The movie is most notable for originating the name of the "Wilhelm scream",[3]asound effect used in the Star Wars film series,[4] as well as countless other movies including the Indiana Jones franchise,[5] Disney cartoons and The Lord of the Rings film series.[6] In February 2018 it was announced that Star Wars will no longer use the Wilhelm scream.[7][8] Sound designer Ben Burtt named the sound after "Pvt. Wilhelm", a minor character in the film who emits the famous scream after being shot by an arrow (although the recording actually originated in the Gary Cooper film Distant Drums in 1951). When the film screened at the Second World 3-D Expo at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre in 2006, much of the film-savvy audience broke into applause when Pvt. Wilhelm screamed.
The climax of the film has many similarities to the 1868 Battle of Beecher Island, though instead of Army frontier scouts, Madison's character recruits "the Guardhouse Brigade" from Army prisoners and arms them with repeating rifles. Some have also noticed that the plot bears a number of similarities to the later Major Dundee, directed by Sam Peckinpah in 1965, notably the journey leading up to the climactic stand-off.
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The cavalry at Fort Bellows, in Colorado territory, seeks the help of Miles Archer to rescue two white women abducted by the Cheyenne as well as provide security for the railroad construction. The venture entails journey through hostile Cheyenne territory, and facing knives, arrows, spears, tomahawks and an irate rattlesnake.
