Mini-Stories: Volume 20

Smell-O-Vision with Gillian Jacobs

 

In the 1960 film Scent of Mystery, audiences experienced an innovative but ultimately failed film gimmick called Smell-O-Vision. Actress and 99% Invisible contributor Gillian Jacobs explains the bizarre concept of Smell-O-Vision, which was the brainchild of Mike Todd Jr., the son of movie mogul Mike Todd Sr. (husband of Elizabeth Taylor). After his father’s death, Mike Jr. wanted to carry on his legacy of spectacle in cinema and invest in a sensory experience that would engage the sense of smell.

Smell-O-Vision was based on a device called SmellBrain, invented by Austrian osmologist Hans Laube, which delivered scent cues to individual theater seats during a movie. The technology was designed to sync scents with specific scenes—such as perfume when a mysterious woman appeared on screen—creating a unique immersive experience for viewers. Scent of Mystery was the first (and only) film to use Smell-O-Vision, with the smell of perfume, flowers, and other elements enhancing the plot.

However, the technology faced multiple problems. Some smells were too strong, others came late, or not at all. There were only a few theaters equipped to show the film in full Smell-O-Vision, leading to its commercial failure. Despite its marketing hype, Smell-O-Vision quickly became a Hollywood joke.

Although Smell-O-Vision failed, the concept lingered. Other films like Polyester (1981) and Spy Kids 4 (2011) attempted similar “scratch-and-sniff” methods, and modern tech like iSmell and oPhone has tried to bring scent to digital experiences like video games. Despite these attempts, Smell-O-Vision remains a curiosity in cinema history, a quirky footnote in the pursuit of multi-sensory media.