MARIO BAVA

'Mario Bava' (July 31 1914 - April 27 1980) was an Italian director and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the golden age of Italian horror films.

Contents

Biography

Filmography as director

External links

Sources

References

Biography

Mario Bava was born in Sanremo, Liguria.
In 1960 he directed one of the first Italian gothic horror films of the 1960s: ''Black Sunday'' which made a star out of Barbara Steele. His use of light and dark in black and white films is widely acclaimed along with his use of colors in films like ''I tre volti della paura'' (''Black Sabbath'') (1963) and ''La Frusta e il corpo'' (''The Whip and the Body'') (1963).
His work has proved very influential: Bava directed what is called the first Italian giallo film, ''La ragazza che sapeva troppo'' (''The Girl Who Knew Too Much'') (1963), and his 1965 sci-fi horror ''Terrore nello spazio'' (''Planet of the Vampires'') was a key influence on ''Alien'' (1979). '' (1968) was one of the world's first comic book adaptations, while 1971's ''Reazione a catena'' (also known as ''Twitch of the Death Nerve'' & ''Bay of Blood'') is considered to be one of the earliest slasher films.
Mario Bava has a son, Lamberto Bava, who also achieved a movie-directing career.
On several of his movies, Bava was credited as John M. Old.^[1] Later, Lamberto Bava was sometimes credited as John M. Old, Jr.^[2]

Filmography as director

★ ''I Vampiri'' (1957 uncredited co-direction)

★ ''Caltiki - The Immortal Monster'' (1959, uncredited co-direction)

★ ''Black Sunday'', (''Mask of the Demon'', ''Mask of Satan'', 1960)

★ ''Esther and the King'' (1960, co-direction)

★ ''Le meraviglie di Aladino'' (''The Wonders of Aladdin'', 1960 - Only some scenes)

★ ''Hercules in the Haunted World'', 1961

★ ''Gli invasori'' (''Erik The Conqueror'', 1961)

★ ''La ragazza che sapeva troppo'' (''The Girl Who Knew Too Much'', 1963)

★ ''Black Sabbath'', 1963

★ ''The Whip and the Body'', 1963

★ ''Blood and Black Lace'', 1964

★ ''The Road to Fort Alamo'', 1964

★ ''Planet of the Vampires'', 1965

★ ''Savage Gringo'', 1966 - Uncredited

★ ''Kill, Baby... Kill!'', 1966

★ ''Knives of the Avenger'', 1966

★ ''Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs'', 1966

★ '', 1968)

★ ''Roy Colt & Winchester Jack'', 1970

★ ''Five Dolls for an August Moon'', 1970

★ ''Hatchet for the Honeymoon'', 1970

★ ''Bay of Blood'' / ''Twitch of the Death Nerve'', 1971

★ ''Baron Blood'', 1972

★ ''Four Times That Night'', 1972

★ ''Lisa and the Devil'', 1973

★ ''House of Exorcism'', 1974 - Edited version of ''Lisa and the Devil''

★ ''Kidnapped (aka Rabid Dogs)'', 1974

★ ''Shock'' (''Beyond the Door II'', 1977)

External links

★

★ Biography of Bava

★ Images - Mario Bava, short biography

★ Senses of Cinema - about his films

★ "'Yellow'" A short film dedicated to Mario Bava

Sources

★ ''Mario Bava Maestro of Macabre'' (2001), directed by Garry S.Grant

★ ''Mario Bava Operazione paura'' (2004), directed by Gabriele Acerbo & Roberto Pisoni

References

1. http://www.imagesjournal.com/issue05/infocus/intro2.htm
2. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/68285