First John Waters movie to garner an 'R' rating in the USA. All of Waters' previous pictures stateside had been X-rated or unrated.
In the scene where Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter) is standing around the car accident, real ambulances were used, and local people called the police, reporting an accident.
The scratch-and-sniff card of "Odorama" was not the first time such gimmick had been employed in motion pictures as it had been preceded by "Aroma Roma" in 1959 and "Smell-o-Vision" in 1960. Later, such a type of gimmick would later also be used for Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011), where it was called "Aromascope".
On the film's audio commentary with director John Waters recorded for the movie's DVD release in 2004 he voiced his pleasure at having had audiences to go out and actually "pay to smell sh**."
Rick Breitenfeld: As prominent ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist Dr. Quackenshaw explaining the Odorama scratch 'n' stiff card at the film's start.