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A Screening of

In Glorious Smell-O-Vision

Scent of Mystery was the only film to use Smell-O-Vision, a technique created by osmologist Hans Laube. At its 1960s screening, the system released odours at various points in the plot to provide important details to the audience. Australian filmmaker Tammy Burnstock made it her mission to understand Laube's story and why Smell-O-Vision was so short-lived.

In Glorious Smell-O-Vision, co-directed by John Anderson, is Burnstock's bid to find out why, while contending scented cinema should have a future.

At May's screening of In Glorious Smell-O-Vision at Randwick Ritz, the audience was treated to a scent menu curated by Australian perfumer Jocelyn Fullerton, who paid homage to some of the original scents Laube used for Scent of Mystery.

The Smell Brain

Producer Mike Todd Jr. with Hans Laube's 'Smell Brain'. As the film real threaded through the projector, markers on it would cue this 'brain' to pierce perfume containers. The scent would be propelled by fans through a series of pipes before arriving to audience members via a vent beneath each of their seats.

Scent of a Woman

Set in a series of beautiful Spanish landscapes, Scent of Mystery revolves around the pursuit of a mysterious woman present only via her distinctive perfume until the final moments of the film. It was Elizabeth Taylor who appeared in the uncredited role.

Star-Studded Cast

Beverly Bentley, Denholm Elliot and Peter Lorre starred in Scent of Mystery. Mike Todd Jr. was producer, who had also produced other cinematic spectacles This is Cinerama and Around the World in Eighty Days, in conjunction with his father Mike Todd.

Scents of Mystery

The scents used in the original screening of Scent of Mystery included pipe tobacco, coffee, roses, wine, gunpowder shoe polish, gasoline, fresh sea air, bananas and more!

In Glorious Smell-O-Vision

From left to right:, Carmen Laube (daughter of Hans Laube), film's composer Peter Dasant, writer and director Tammy Burnstock and Nadia Roden who designed the animations (and illustrations featured here).

Scent Menu by Jocelyn Fullerton

The tantalising scents smelled in Sydney on May 18 at Randwick Ritz cinema for the screening of In Glorious Smell-O-Vision

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