Castle thunder is a
sound effect
A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media.
In m ...
that consists of the sound of a loud
thunderclap during a rainstorm. It was originally recorded for the 1931 film ''
Frankenstein
''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...
'', and has since been used in dozens of films, television programs, and commercials.
History
After its use in ''Frankenstein'', the Castle Thunder was used in dozens of films from the 1930s through the 1980s, including ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...
'' (1941), ''
Bambi
''Bambi'' is a 1942 American Animated film, animated Coming of age, coming-of-age drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Loosely based on Felix Salten's 1923 novel ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'', the ...
'' (1942), ''
You Only Live Twice'' (1967), ''
Young Frankenstein
''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Victor Fra ...
'' (1974), ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' (1977), ''
Ghostbusters
''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric ...
'' (1984), ''
Back to the Future
''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985 ...
'' (1985), and ''
Big Trouble in Little China
''Big Trouble in Little China'' (also known as ''John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China'') is a 1986 American fantasy action-comedy film directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong. The ...
'' (1986).
Use of the effect in subsequent years has declined because the quality of the original
analog recording
Analog recording is a category of techniques used for the recording of analog signals. This enables later playback of the recorded analog audio.
Analog audio recording began with mechanical systems such as the phonautograph and phonograph. La ...
does not sufficiently hold up in modern sound mixes.
The effect appears in
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
productions (largely from the 1940s to 1980s), and
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...
cartoons, including the original ''
Scooby-Doo
''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...
'' animated series.
It can also be heard at the
Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion may also refer to:
*Haunted house, house or other structure inhabited by disembodied spirits
*Haunted attraction (simulated), a type of amusement attraction
Disney
* The Haunted Mansion, a dark ride attraction located at multiple ...
attraction at Disney theme parks.
The sound can be found on a few sound effects libraries distributed by
Sound Ideas
Sound Ideas Canada Ltd. (also known as Sound Ideas) is a Canadian audio company and the archive of one of the largest commercially available sound effects libraries in the world. It has accumulated the sound effects, which it releases in collect ...
(such as the Soundelux Master Collection, the Network Sound Effects Library, the 20th Century Fox Sound Effects Library and the Hanna-Barbera SoundFX Library).
See also
*
Wilhelm scream
The Wilhelm scream is an iconic stock sound effect that has been used in many films, TV series, and other media, first originating from the 1951 film '' Distant Drums''. The scream is often used in scenarios when someone is shot, falls from a g ...
*
Howie scream
A stock sound effect is a prerecorded sound effect intended to be reused with an entertainment product, as opposed to creating a new and unique sound effect. It is intended to work within a sound effect library.
History
As far back as Ancient Gr ...
*
Tarzan's jungle call
*
Goofy holler
References
{{Reflist
External links
Common variants of the sound effectVideo compilation of castle thunder in modern animationHow the crash and roll of castle thunder matches the science of thunderstorms
In-jokes
Sound effects
1931 works
Lightning