 "A
Tale of Old Whiff",
the animated
one-reel cartoon has
been found
By Randy Gitsch
We are delighted to
report that "A Tale
of Old Whiff", the
animated, one-reel
cartoon by Johh
Hubley that
originally
accompanied the
"Scent of Mystery"
feature in its' 1960
theatrical release,
and one which was
officially "lost",
when he and Dave
Strohmaier were
desperately looking
for it to accompany
their DVD/Blu-Ray
re-mastered release
of that feature, has
been found. |
 Scent
of Mystery at the
TCM Classic Film
Festival 2016
By Dave Strohmaier and Tom March
The 2016 TCM Classic Film festival is a really big Hollywood event held
over four days between April 28 and May 1 in the heart of Hollywood.
The Cinerama contribution was the Mike Todd, Jr.'s "Smell-O-Vision" Cinerama
Dome screening of “Scent of Mystery”. It screened on May 1 at 10:00AM to
a full house. It was hosted by LEONARD MALTIN - Film Critic and Historian
with a special guest appearance by BEVERLY BENTLEY who played the decoy
Sally Kennedy in the film. |
 "Holiday
in Spain" @ the
Cinerama Dome
By Strohmaier &
Co
Sunday May 1st.. It
is partly a live
audience
participation event
where live actors
come off the screen.
We will have
appearances by 2 of
the original cast
members, The
daughter of Mike
Todd Jr., and some
give away BluRays.
Several Lobby
displays related to
Smell and the Todd
70mm process. |
 Scent of Mystery
lives again!
By Tammy Burnstock
Fifty-five years after its original scented release, Scent of Mystery (AKA
Holiday in Spain) lives once again in glorious Smell-O-Vision! In two
special events: for the Widescreen Weekend Festival, Bradford UK and in
front of a full house at the Danish Film Institute in Copenhagen, the movie
was screened with a new experimental participatory scent track. |
 About
"Scent of Mystery"
By Jack Cardiff
How did I come to direct 'Scent of Mystery'? Well, I had quite a success
on a previous film, "Sons and Lovers", and I suppose the natural thing...
I had met Michael Todd's father who died, and he had wanted me to direct "Don Quixote". But nothing
finally came of it because he died soon after that. But I was
automatically chosen for 'Scent of Mystery'. As I say, I was very
pleased because it was something that had interested me for years- and I
still have an interest in it. But it was such a sad thing that the film
was made... as integral part of the film was of course the use of
smells, and it didn't come off because the smells were nothing, they
were a fake. |
 A
Brief History about Hans Laube
By Carmen Laube
Hans Laube was born in Zurich on February 21, 1900. He passed away in NYC
in 1976. When Hans was born Queen Victoria was still alive and ruling. His
childhood experiences included witnessing a cortege interrupted by noise
emulating from inside the coffin; the 'body' was still alive! That may have
stimulated his lifelong fear of doctors. A trip to the hospital was just the
first stop on the road to the cemetery.
|
 Be
part of
Smell-O-Vision
history! A campaign
to re-start Mike
Todd Jr's.
Smell-O-Vision for
future screenings of
"Holiday In Spain"
"Scent of Mystery"
was the first and
only film to feature
a sophisticated
automated scent
track with "each
dramatic point woven
into the actual
presence of a smell.
Help bring this
recently restored
Cinerama treat to
the very big screen
in new and improved
Smell-O-Vision by
supporting two pilot
screenings. We need
to make these
scented events as
great as they can
possibly be so we
can tour Cinema with
Scent all around the
world in 2016! |
 Paul
Rayton Remembers
"Scent of Mystery"
in 3 minutes and 49
seconds
By Thomas Hauerslev
I believe the odours
were directed
towards us by little
pipes in between the
seats in front of
us. I remember a
scent of some
shaving cream, and a
couple of other
smells, vaguely. I
didn’t have the
complaint about the
smell lingering
afterwards, which
apparently was one
of them – but still
I was getting some
smells. But OK – it
was a process, but
possibly not
perfect. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 Working for Mike
Todd
By Glenda Jensen
Midori Tsuji was a fascinating and beautiful woman. She took care of
everything for Mike and, occasionally, for Elizabeth. I wanted to be
like her. |
Paul
Rayton Remembers
"Scent of Mystery"
in 3 minutes and 49
seconds
By Thomas Hauerslev
I believe the odours
were directed
towards us by little
pipes in between the
seats in front of
us. I remember a
scent of some
shaving cream, and a
couple of other
smells, vaguely. I
didn’t have the
complaint about the
smell lingering
afterwards, which
apparently was one
of them – but still
I was getting some
smells. But OK – it
was a process, but
possibly not
perfect. |
 |
 Dave Strohmaier
By Thomas Hauerslev
We went to see "Seven
Wonders of the World" in 1957, It was an interesting and very unique
movie experience,
because because seeing that in the widescreen format was kind of mind
boggling. That is probably why Cinerama lasted so long, because it was so
different. Not only did it create a wide screen in the cinema, but it was
different on its own right, and people felt they were moving with the
theatre. |
 Cinerama
Inc. Scans "Holiday In Spain"
By Dave Strohmaier
Inspired by the scanning and remastering of "Windjammer" and their
library of Cinerama films, Cinerama Inc. decided to go ahead and see
what could be done with Mike Todd Jr.'s "lost" 70mm film |
 Some
thoughts after a 2004 screening
By Rick Mitchell
A very young Denholm Elliott, does very well in a role that appears to have
been conceived for a David Niven, but Peter Lorre seems to be sleepwalking
through his part and Paul
Lukas and Leo McKern weren't exactly household names in those days. |
 "Scent
of Mystery" comments
By Marvin Walowitz
I was working (about
1959) on the same
lot as Todd-AO at
the time (the old
Chaplin studio), and
I would drop in on
the dubbing stage
when I had time, and
would observe the
mixing (or really
pre-dubbing). Some
years later (about
1966), I bought a
batch of 17.5mm mag rolls from someone who
worked at Todd-AO sound (they had moved to Seward St.). These were the
original production recordings for "Scent of Mystery". |
 "Holiday
in Spain" Screens in
Spain
By Dave
Strohmaier
Upon hearing that
this rare film,
which was largely
filmed in Malaga had
been reconstructed
and re-mastered,
Festival director
Juan Antonio Vigar
and local
newspaperman and
film historian,
Francisco Grinan
contacted David
Strohmaier about the
possibility of
showing the film at
this years
festivities. |
 "Holiday
In Spain" released
on Blu-Ray
Redwind Productions
Inc., in association
with Cinerama Inc,
is proud to present
for the very first
time – the lost and
now re-mastered 70mm
treat, filmed
entirely in
Spain…Originally
titled “Scent of
Mystery” and
presented in
“Smell-O-Vision”,
this unique and
magical adventure,
follows a mystery
novelist, played by
Denholm Elliott, who
discovers a plan to
murder an American
heiress, played by
Beverly Bentley,
while on vacation in
Spain. |
 “Scent
of Mystery” Playdate History
By David Coles
In its original “SCENT OF MYSTERY” incarnation a new sound
concept was featured, which unfortunately was never used again.
Todd-Belock 8-channel Stereophonic sound was essentially normal 6-track
magnetic 70mm sound, but with Perspecta-like encoding on the 6th
surround channel. This automatically directed that track to left, right and
rear auditorium speakers, as appropriate, during the showing. |
|
|
|
|
 A
Tale of Old Whiff
By F Gwynplaine
MacIntyre
I saw "A Tale of Old Whiff" WITHOUT the Smell-O-Vision apparatus ... an
absence which diminishes the effect of this film, as we're meant to be
able to smell all the items that Old Whiff doesn't notice. Still this is
an excellent and innovative cartoon ... not especially funny, but
charming and imaginative. I wish that it were widely available, even
without the Smell-O-Vision. |
 My
father never really talked about the motion picture business
Cyrus Todd in
Conversation
I worked in the motion picture business for about four years in New York,
and then I moved back to Ireland became a chef. I did that for about twenty years. My legs have gotten old and I decided to find
something else. And a friend of a friend said I should get into the
appliance business – there was somebody looking for help, and instead of
standing behind a stove and cooking, now I stand in front of them and sell
them! |
 Oliver
Michael Todd in Conversation
My name is Oliver Michael Todd. I was born in New York where I lived the
first six years of my life. I went to University in the US and actually took
a little detour from University and went to Los Angeles before I became a
school teacher and over a series of years and different locations found
myself lucky enough to find a job in Copenhagen. |
 Mike
Todd, Jr. Interview
By Roy Frumkes
“This Is Cinerama” opened to rave reviews.
All of Dad's ideas had worked - the name of the film was his, the roadshow concept was his. No one had believed his predictions about Cinerama; now everyone was listening. |
 Letters
and Dust Devils
Susan Jane Todd in Conversation
My father had the difficult job of following in his father’s footsteps. I
think my father always wanted to be a philosopher: that was his Major in
college. He loved fine art – painting and sculpture. And good literature.
But he got stuck with "Scent of Mystery" this because his father died. They
were just about to work on a Todd-AO movie – "Don Quixote". He couldn’t do
it because he was in so much grief – so he made this project. |
•
Go to
The Passing
of Mike Todd, Jr. |
|
 |
 The
Lingering Reek of “Smell-O-Vision”
By Patrick Kiger & Martin Smith
While "Scent of Mystery" wasn’t the first attempt to employ
aromas in filmmaking, it was by far the
most technologically intricate. It was
the first motion picture that relied
upon smells as integral devices in the
plot |
"Holiday
In Spain" released
on Blu-Ray
Redwind Productions
Inc., in association
with Cinerama Inc,
is proud to present
for the very first
time – the lost and
now re-mastered 70mm
treat, filmed
entirely in
Spain…Originally
titled “Scent of
Mystery” and
presented in
“Smell-O-Vision”,
this unique and
magical adventure,
follows a mystery
novelist, played by
Denholm Elliott, who
discovers a plan to
murder an American
heiress, played by
Beverly Bentley,
while on vacation in
Spain. |
|
|
LEONARD MALTIN SAYS |
Sunday morning brought the
eagerly-awaited revival of Smell-O-Vision at the Cinerama
Dome, where a hard-working team offered Michael Todd Jr.’s
Holiday in Spain (originally shown as Scent of Mystery).
Leading lady Beverly Bentley was there, with clear
recollections of the film’s premiere in 1960, along with her
stand-in and friend Sandra Shahan and Gary Dawson, the son
of Diana Dors, who makes a memorable cameo in the film.
Having seen the movie on Blu-ray last year (and been
unimpressed) my wife and I were skeptical that this
presentation would be worthwhile. But with audience members
opening spray vials on cue and using fans to spread the
aromas we had to admit we were wrong. The movie played much
better on the curved Cinerama screen and the scents—from
roses to red wine—wafted through the theater just as they
were supposed to.
Leonard Maltin, USA
03.05.2016
|
•
Go to
Mike
Todd Jr.'s "Scent of
Mystery" in
Smell-O-Vision |
|
|
|
