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Mario Bava

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Mario Bava ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish technical ingenuity, feature recurring themes and imagery concerning the conflict between illusion and reality, as well as the destructive capacity of human nature.<ref name="Tripod" /> Widely regarded as a pioneer of Italian genre cinema and one of the most influential auteurs of the horror film genre,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> he is popularly referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror"<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the "Master of the Macabre".<ref>Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre (2000)–MUBI</ref>

After providing special effects work and other assistance on such productions as I Vampiri (1957), Hercules (1958) and Caltiki – The Immortal Monster (1959), Bava made his official feature directorial debut with the gothic horror film Black Sunday, released in 1960. He went on to direct such films as The Girl Who Knew Too Much, Black Sabbath, The Whip and the Body (all released in 1963), Blood and Black Lace (1964), Planet of the Vampires (1965), Kill, Baby, Kill (1966), Danger: Diabolik (1968), A Bay of Blood (1971), Baron Blood (1972), Lisa and the Devil (1974) and Rabid Dogs (1974).

According to the British Film Institute, "Bava took a vital role in the creation of the modern horror film. If there was to be a Mount Rushmore-style monument dedicated to four directors whose work pioneered a new form of big screen chills and thrills, those giant faces etched in granite on the mountainside would be: Bava, Alfred Hitchcock, Georges Franju and Michael Powell."<ref name=":0" />

FamilyEdit

Born to sculptor, cinematographer and special effects pioneer Eugenio Bava, the younger Mario Bava followed his father into the film industry, and eventually earned a reputation as one of Italy's foremost cameramen, lighting and providing the special effects for such films as Hercules (1958) and its sequel Hercules Unchained (1959) (both were lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3000).<ref>"Mystery Science Theater 3000" Hercules Unchained (TV episode 1992)-IMDb</ref><ref>"Mystery Science Theater 3000" Hercules (TV episode 1993)-IMDb</ref>

Mario Bava's son and frequent assistant director, Lamberto Bava, later became a noted fantasy and horror film director in his own right.

BiographyEdit

Mario Bava was born in Sanremo, Liguria on 31 July 1914. He was the son of Eugenio Bava (1886-1966), a sculptor who also worked as a special effects photographer and cameraman in the Italian silent movie industry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mario Bava's first ambition was to become a painter. Unable to turn out paintings at a profitable rate, he went into his father's business, working as an assistant to other Italian cinematographers like Massimo Terzano. He also helped his father at the special effects department at Benito Mussolini's film factory, the Istituto Luce.

Bava became a cinematographer himself in 1939, shooting two short films with Roberto Rossellini. He made his feature debut in the early 1940s. Bava's camerawork was an instrumental factor in developing the screen personas of such stars of the period as Gina Lollobrigida, Steve Reeves and Aldo Fabrizi.

During the late 1950s, his eventual career trajectory as a director began when he was relied upon to complete projects begun by or credited to his colleague Riccardo Freda and other filmmakers, including I Vampiri (1957) (the first Italian horror film of the sound era), The Day the Sky Exploded (1958) (the first Italian science fiction film), Caltiki – The Immortal Monster (1959) and The Giant of Marathon (1959).<ref name="Tripod" />

Bava collaborates in I vampiri (a.k.a. The Devil's Commandment) for director Riccardo Freda in 1956, a movie now referred to as the first Italian horror film.Template:Sfn Bava was originally hired as the cinematographer, but when Freda walked out on the project midway through production, Bava completed the film in several days, even creating the innovative special effects that were needed. He also handled the cinematography and special effects on the 1955 Kirk Douglas epic Ulysses and the 1957 Steve Reeves classic Hercules, two films credited with sparking the Italian sword and sandal genre.

Bava co-directed The Day the Sky Exploded in 1958, the first Italian science fiction film, predating even the sci-fi films of Antonio Margheriti. Because he had no earlier credited experience as a director, the film was credited solely to Paolo Heusch.

File:Mario Bava.jpg
Bava in 1962

In 1960, Bava directed the gothic horror classic Black Sunday, his first solo directorial effort, which made a genre star out of Barbara Steele. His use of light and dark in black-and-white films is widely acclaimed along with his spectacular use of color in films such as Black Sabbath, Kill, Baby... Kill!, Blood and Black Lace and The Whip and the Body.

Later worksEdit

His work has proven to be very influential. Bava directed two films that are now regarded as the earliest entries in the Italian giallo genre: The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) and Blood and Black Lace (1964). His 1965 science fiction horror film Planet of the Vampires was a thematic precursor to Alien (1979). Although comic books had served as the basis for countless serials and children's films in Hollywood, Bava's Danger: Diabolik (1968) brought an adult perspective to the genre; the movie was influenced by Pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.<ref>Celebrating the Non-Horror Work of Mario Bava—Nerdist</ref><ref>All 24 Mario Bava Movies Ranked from Worst to Best - Page 3 - Taste of Cinema</ref> Many elements of the 1966 film Kill, Baby... Kill!, regarded by Martin Scorsese as Bava's masterpiece, also appear in the Asian strain of terror film known as J-horror. 1971's A Bay of Blood is considered one of the early slasher films, and was explicitly imitated in Friday the 13th Part 2.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Bava was disappointed with the theatrical distribution of some of his later films. His Lisa and the Devil (1972) never was selected by a distributor. Eventually, in order to get it released, the producer reedited the movie into an Exorcist clone, adding footage shot in 1975, and retitling it House of Exorcism. Bava's Semaforo Rosso (1974) never was released theatrically during his lifetime, and in the late 1990s, it also would be reedited, with new footage added, and retitled; it was released on video as Rabid Dogs. It was released on DVD in 2007, slightly altered and again retitled, as Kidnapped.

In 1977, Bava directed his last horror film, Shock. His son, Lamberto Bava, was an uncredited co-director. The elder Bava later did special effects matte work on Dario Argento's 1980 film Inferno. Bava died suddenly of a heart attack on 27 April 1980, at age 65. His doctor had given him a physical just a few days before, and had pronounced him to be in perfect health. At the time of his death, Bava was about to start shooting a science fiction film titled Star Riders, on which Luigi Cozzi had hoped to collaborate.<ref name="mfb-starexpress">Template:Cite journal</ref>

FilmographyEdit

Template:Sticky header

Title Year Credited as Notes Template:Abbr
Director Screenwriter Screen story writer Cinematographer Other
Scipione l'africano 1937 Template:Yes Uncredited title designer. Template:Sfn
Il dottor Antonio 1938 Template:Yes Uncredited camera assistant. Template:Sfn
Princess Tarakanova 1938 Template:Yes Uncredited camera assistant. Template:Sfn
Giuseppe Verdi 1938 Template:Yes Uncredited camera assistant. Template:Sfn
Inventiamo l'amore 1938 Template:Yes Uncredited camera assistant. Template:Sfn
Il socio invisible 1939 Template:Yes Uncredited additional photography Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1940 Template:Yes Uncredited camera assistant Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1941 Template:Yes Uncredited camera assistant Template:Sfn
Uomini sul fondo 1941 Template:Yes Additional photography and special effects Template:Sfn
Capitan Tempesta 1942 Template:Yes Camera assistant Template:Sfn
La nave bianca 1942 Template:Yes Camera assistant and special effects Template:Sfn
Alfa tau! 1942 Template:Yes Additional photography and special effects Template:Sfn
Uomini e cieli 1943 Template:Yes Additional photography and special effects Template:Sfn
Le avventure di Annabella 1943 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Sant'Elena, piccola isola 1943 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Montecassino nel cerchio di fuoco 1946 Template:Yes Uncredited additional photography Template:Sfn
Il barbiere di Siviglia 1946 Template:Yes Uncredited camera assistant Template:Sfn
Elisir d'amore 1947 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Natale ai campo 119 1947 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Follie per l'opera 1948 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1948 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Antonio de Padova 1949 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Miss Italia 1950 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1950 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1950 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Canzone di primavera 1950 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Quel bandito sono io! 1950 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Vita da cani 1950 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Guardie e ladri 1951 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Amor non ho, pero... pero... 1951 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1951 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1952 Template:Yes Additional photography, uncredited Special effects work Template:Sfn
Papà diventa mamma 1952 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Gli eroi della domenica 1952 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Sins of Rome 1953 Template:Yes Uncredited as cinematographer Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Perdonami! 1953 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1953 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Balocchi e profumi 1953 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Villa Borghese 1953 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Terza liceo 1954 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Cose da pazzi 1954 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Graziella 1954 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Hanno rubato un tram 1954 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Theodora, Slave Empress 1954 Template:Yes Additional photography and uncredited special effects artist Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Buonanotte... avvocato! 1955 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Non ch'e amore piu grande 1955 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1955 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1955 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects artist Template:Sfn
Da qui all'ereditta 1955 Template:Yes Uncredited additional photography and special effects Template:Sfn
Beatrice Cenci 1956 Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Mio figlio Nerone 1956 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Roland the Mighty 1956 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Template:Sort 1957 Template:Yes Template:Yes Completed the film after Freda left production. Also did uncredited special effects. Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Hercules 1958 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects artist Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Città di notte 1958 Template:Yes Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Template:Sort 1958 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator. While credited to Paolo Heusch, actors on set state Bava directed the film. Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Toto in Paris 1958 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Hercules Unchained 1959 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects artist Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Sheba and the Gladiator 1959 Template:Yes Uncredited as cinematographer Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1959 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Caltiki – The Immortal Monster 1959 Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects. Took over direction from Freda. Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
The Giant of Marathon 1959 Template:Yes Template:Yes Bava shot some interiors 10 days prior to the films premiere. Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Black Sunday 1960 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Bava developed the matte paintings and special effects uncredited. Template:Sfn
Hercules in the Haunted World 1961 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Erik the Conqueror 1961 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1962 Template:Yes Uncredited special effects creator Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1963 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Black Sabbath 1963 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Bava is uncredited as cinematographer on some scenes. Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref name="bs-arrow-2">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>
Template:Sort 1963 Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Blood and Black Lace 1964 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1964 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Planet of the Vampires 1965 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Knives of the Avenger 1966 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects Template:Sfn
Kill, Baby, Kill 1966 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs 1966 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Danger: Diabolik 1968 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Five Dolls for an August Moon 1970 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator and film editor Template:Sfn
Hatchet for the Honeymoon 1970 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Roy Colt & Winchester Jack 1970 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Four Times That Night 1971 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Template:Sort 1971 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Special effects creator Template:Sfn
Baron Blood 1972 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Lisa and the Devil 1974 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Sfn
Shock 1977 Template:Yes Template:Yes Bava is uncredited as cinematographer Template:Sfn
Inferno 1980 Template:Yes Bava created some optical effects, painted maquettes, and other trick shots. Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
Rabid Dogs 1998 Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Uncredited cinematographer and on screen as the man in the parking lot. Template:Sfn

Influence and legacyEdit

Although most of Bava's films as director failed to achieve major commercial success upon release, many eventually found acclaim as cult classics, with their content and production values being favourably compared to the works of Alfred Hitchcock. Despite his reputation as a talented artist during his lifetime, Bava's shy, self-deprecating demeanour prevented him from taking advantage of opportunities that would have furthered his international standing within the film industry, and he turned down multiple opportunities to work in Hollywood.<ref name="Tripod">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Mario Bava's son Lamberto Bava worked for 14 years as Bava's assistant director (beginning with Planet of the Vampires), and became a horror film director. On several of Mario's movies, Mario was credited as John M. Old.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Later, Lamberto was sometimes credited as John M. Old, Jr.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> When Lamberto directed his first solo film Macabre in 1980 and screened the completed work for his father, Mario commented jokingly to Lamberto: "I am very proud of you. Now I can die in peace". (He actually did die less than two months later.)

Several books have been published about Mario Bava: Mario Bava by Pascal Martinet (Edilig, 1984) and Mario Bava edited by Jean-Louis Leutrat (Éditions du Céfal, 1994) in French; Mario Bava by Alberto Pezzotta (Il Castoro Cinema, 1995) in Italian; The Haunted Worlds of Mario Bava by Troy Howarth (FAB Press, 2002) and most recently, the massive critical biography Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas (Video Watchdog, 2007; Template:ISBN).

A documentary about him titled Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre was released in 2000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Mario Bava's directing style heavily influenced many directors, including Joe Dante, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, John Landis, and Tim Burton.<ref>Shock Video: Tim Burton Talks His Love of Mario Bava - ComingSoon.net</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>10 Essential Mario Bava Films Every Horror Fan Should See — Taste of Cinema</ref> Bava and his works have also influenced Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Federico Fellini, John Carpenter, Nicolas Winding Refn, Roger Corman, Edgar Wright and Jennifer Kent.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The satirical TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000 concluded their show in 1999 with Danger: Diabolik.<ref>Why MST3K's Original Finale Is One of the Best Episodes Ever—Nerdist</ref><ref>Mystery Science Theater 3000 – Time</ref><ref>Viva Bava, Celebrating a Master Craftsman|Balder and Dash|Roger Ebert</ref><ref>Best Sci-Fi Movies Mystery Science Theater 3000 Watched|Gizmodo</ref>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

BibliographyEdit

External linksEdit

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