Sound effects have such a paramount role in movies that they achieve universal recognition with movie audiences. Sound effects enhance an audience’s perception of movies. The mechanical breathing of Darth Vader, for example, transforms him into a menacing villain in the original trilogy of “Star Wars.” As described in a blog post by one of the top California audio engineering schools, sound productions “convey the ‘nature’ of a scene” and “set the ambiance.”

A background sound will “make you feel.” We listed the top five sound effects in the history of filmmaking:

Wilhelm Scream

A 1951 movie, “Distant Drums,” introduced the world to the Wilhelm Scream, according to Wired Magazine. As a soldier wades through a swamp, he is bitten by an alligator, pulled underwater, and a blood-curdling scream is released. The original scream was so realistic that sound editors featured it in countless other movies. Popularized by movies like “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the Wilhelm Scream can be heard as a death scream for everything, from a person falling off a building to a monster attacking its prey.

Telephone Ring

The telephone ring was a fixture in movies and TV shows during the ’70s and ’80s. The Hollywood Lost and Found website noted that the opening sequence in every episode of “The Rockford Files” famously used this sound effect. Many other TV characters during the era apparently even purchased the same telephone from the same store because the ring soon turned up in other TV shows and movies, including “Magnum P.I.” and “Ghostbusters.” The advent of mobile phones has retired the telephone ring to be an iconic sound effect of the past.

Screaming Cat

Troubling off-screen commotion serves as a cue for the screaming cat. Bad luck just seems to follow this cat wherever it goes. From a car crash and brawl to a gunshot in a dark alley, a screaming cat is caught up in the action and unleashes a tortured yowl. It’s even been used satirically in movies and TV shows like “The Simpsons” comically to place the cat screech in areas and situations where no cat would be in the first place.

Castle Thunder

Just about every time a clap of thunder is heard on screen, it can be traced back to the 1931 version of “Frankenstein,” Hollywood Lost and Found also reported. Castle Thunder got its name because it has been used to enhance the dark ambiance of a mad scientist’s castle or haunted house during an ominous and stormy night. The thunderous sound effect and flash of lightning has illuminated storms in movies, such as “Citizen Kane” and “Back to the Future.”

Howling Wolf

Whenever a full moon rises, a wolf spookily howls in the distance. A howl ratchets up the tension and suspense — one of many sounds in the pantheon of scary sounds.

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