When the Scent Speaks

The sense of smell, oftentimes neglected in comparison to other senses, holds a profound importance that is often only fully recognized once it is lost. While various animal species possess distinct dominant and sensitive senses, hearing and sight respectively remain most vital to humans. Despite this, odours can still have a powerful, subconscious impact on our thoughts and behaviors. When we encounter certain scents, the volatile substances reach our nostrils and are absorbed into our nasal mucus. This allows us to remember and associate a particular smell with a specific experience. Smells possess a magical quality that can elicit emotions, evoke memories, and transport us to different times and places with just one inhalation, revealing a world of beauty that we often overlook.

Hans Laube employed this connection between smell and thought/mind in his invention that he called “smell-o-vision”: different odours were sprayed during the screening of the movie The Scent of Mystery (1960) so that viewers would create a relation between the smells and what was happening on the screen.  The film was directed by Jack Cardiff and produced by Mike Todd, Jr. In 2012, David Strohmaier reconstructed and re-released the film which was presented in screenings in Los Angeles, Denmark, and England in 2015.

The arrangement termed “Laube’s system” discovered by Laube received a U.S. patent and later it was renamed “Smell-o-vision” by Todd. In the projection of the film, the technique named “smell brains” (where a series of perfume containers were attached to a belt) was used. The belt was then wounded around a motorized spool. As the film threaded, the membranes of the perfume containers were pierced with the help of needles. The released scents were then blown away by fans through the pipes to individual vents. Ads for the film read: “First they moved (1895)! Then they talked (1927)! Now they smell (1960)!”

The plot of the movie was such that a mystery novelist discovers a plan to murder an American heiress while on vacation in Spain. In the projection of the film, 30 different types of odours were released in the theatre.  The climax of some scenes was designed to indicate the capabilities of the “Smell-o-vision” technique. The grape scent was released at a plot where the casks of wine fell off a wagon through a hill and smashed against a wall. Again, one character in the film was identified by the smell of pipe tobacco.

The term “Smell-o-vision” links two special human senses ‘sight’ and ‘olfaction’ to validate a situation properly to the viewer in the theatre. The technique seems pretty compelling that can be integrated into the theatre to get a better influence on a character or a situation. The use of smell in cinema actually dates back to 1906. In “The Family Theatre” in Forest City, Pennsylvania, the scent of rose oil is used to deluge the audience in a Rose Bowl game. But the effect of smell was lost in the noise. So, Laube invented Smell-o-vision, a system that released scents connected to individual seats in movie theatres and was introduced during the 1939 New York World Fair.

In the fantasy romance “Lavender,” directed by Hong Kong’s Ip Kam-Hung, an aromatherapy shop owner falls in love with a wounded angel who has fallen onto her balcony. In order to enhance the mood of the movie, producers reportedly spent $1 million to purchase special devices that would pump flowery scents into the air conditioning systems at theatres. Thankfully, Ip chose to forgo the gimmick in the movie “Elixir of Love (2004) “, which was centered on the romantic struggles of a princess who had an offensive body odour.

In 2011, a technology company based in Paris called “Olf-Action” developed a system called “SMELLIT” which utilizes odoravision technology. This system made its debut at the Lisbon Design Exhibition in Portugal. The system synchronizes odour dispersal with different on-screen activities. The odours were identified by the system using a variety of scent detection tools, such as electronic noses, gas chromatography systems, mass spectrometer-based systems, and/or hybrid systems.   After detecting an odour, the system compares the fragrance characteristic to a database and then sends up content or advertisements tailored to the smell.

With the advancement of technology, the possibility of smell-o-vision has emerged, which could enhance our sensory experiences and provide new opportunities for entertainment, education, and even healthcare. As we continue to explore the potential of this technology, we should also remember to appreciate the simple yet profound role that smell plays in our daily lives.  However, some of the challenges associated with smell-o-vision include technical limitations, such as the difficulty of replicating complex smells in a controlled and consistent manner, as well as issues related to hygiene, safety, and user preferences. Despite these challenges, research and development efforts in this field continue, and it is possible that new breakthroughs and innovations may lead to the eventual adoption and success of smell-o-vision technology in the future.

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