Biography

Ralph Brooks was born on April 22, 1904 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was an actor, known for A Shot in the Dark (1935), The 3rd Voice (1960) and Fighting Youth (1935). He died on April 15, 1991 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Pvt. Wilhelm, Brooks' character in The Charge at Feather River (1953), gives name to what became known as the Wilhelm scream, an especially painful-sounding cry that was used as a sound effect in several movies and TV shows during the 1950's and 1960's. It's first appearance was in a 1951 film about old Florida, Distant Drums (1951), and was voiced by actor Sheb Wooley, who in this film played another private, Pvt. Jessup, who is killed by an alligator.