Smell-o-vision is the name given to a type of film where the viewer can 'smell' what is happening in the movie. The technique was created in 1960 by Mike Todd, Jr., son of Mike Todd. The process injected 30 different smells into a movie theatre's seats when triggered by the film's soundtrack.

History

The 1959 film, Behind the Great Wall , used a process called Aroma-Rama to send scents through the air-conditioning system of a theatre. Todd's 1960 film Scent of Mystery (1960) delivered scents to the audience throughout the film using a more advanced process called "Smell-o-vision". Problems propagating scents in sync with the film and flushing the scents out between each showing led to Smell-o-vision's early demise.

April Fool's Joke

In 1965, BBC TV played an April Fool's Day joke on their viewers. The network aired an "interview" with a man who had invented a new technology called "Smell-o-vision" that allowed viewers at home to experience aromas produced in the television studio. To demonstrate, the man chopped some onions and brewed a pot of coffee. Viewers called in to confirm that they had smelled the aromas that were "transmitted" through their television sets. The response of some members of the audience to the practical joke might be an example of psychosomatic phenomena.

Odorama

In homage to Smell-o-vision, American film director John Waters released an enhanced "Odorama" version of his film, Polyester in 1982. Waters included scratch-and-sniff cards that the audience used while watching the movie.

External links

• Mike Todd, Jr. Obituary, The 70mm Newsletter
• Hollywood Ballyhoo, The Belknap Collection for the Performing Arts, University of Florida
• Timeline of Influential Milestones and Important Turning Points in Film History
• Film History of the 1950s, The Greatest Films
• Museum of Hoaxes, Smellovision