Mario Bava

Director

About

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Also Known As
John Foam, Antonio Roman, Mickey Lion, John Hold, John M Old
Birth Place
Italy
Born
July 31, 1914
Died
April 27, 1980
Cause of Death
Heart Attack

Biography

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Began his career by shooting two early short films for Roberto Rossellini, graduating to feature director in 1960. Bava specialized in mindless movies with lots of sweat, low-budget action and garish color. His playful understanding of the cliches he dealt with has earned cult status for many of his genre pieces. Bava's son Lamberto (aka John Old, Jr.) is also a director....

Filmography

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Shock (1977)
Director
Rabid Dogs (1974)
Director
Baron Blood (1972)
Director
Quante Volte... Quella Notte (1971)
Director
A Bay of Blood (1971)
Director
Antefatto (1971)
Director

Photos & Videos

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Hatchet for the Honeymoon - Movie Poster
1 Photo
Black Sabbath (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Come Closer
Planet of the Vampires - Lobby Cards
2 Photos
0 Photos
Black Sabbath (1964) -- (Movie Clip) We Can Say All We Like About Ghosts

Biography

Began his career by shooting two early short films for Roberto Rossellini, graduating to feature director in 1960. Bava specialized in mindless movies with lots of sweat, low-budget action and garish color. His playful understanding of the cliches he dealt with has earned cult status for many of his genre pieces. Bava's son Lamberto (aka John Old, Jr.) is also a director.

Filmography

 

Director (Feature Film)

Shock (1977)
Director
Rabid Dogs (1974)
Director
Baron Blood (1972)
Director
Quante Volte... Quella Notte (1971)
Director
A Bay of Blood (1971)
Director
Antefatto (1971)
Director
5 bambole per la luna d'agosto (1970)
Director
Roy Colt e Winchester Jack (1970)
Director
Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970)
Director
Danger: Diabolik (1968)
Director
Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966)
Director
Kill Baby Kill (1966)
Director
Blood and Black Lace (1965)
Director
Planet of the Vampires (1965)
Director
Black Sabbath (1964)
Director
Hercules in the Haunted World (1964)
Director
Evil Eye (1964)
Director
Erik the Conqueror (1963)
Director
The Wonders of Aladdin (1961)
2nd unit Director
Black Sunday (1961)
Director
La Maschera del Demonio (1960)
Director
Caltiki, The Immortal Monster (1959)
Director
I vampiri (1957)
Director

Cinematography (Feature Film)

Shock (1977)
Cinematographer
A Bay of Blood (1971)
Cinematographer
Antefatto (1971)
Cinematographer
Hercules in the Haunted World (1964)
Director of Photography
Evil Eye (1964)
Director of Photography
Erik the Conqueror (1963)
Director of Photography
Black Sunday (1961)
Director of Photography
The Day the Sky Exploded (1961)
Director of Photography
The White Warrior (1961)
Director of Photography
Esther and the King (1960)
Director of Photography
The Giant of Marathon (1960)
Director of Photography
La Maschera del Demonio (1960)
Director Of Photography
Caltiki, The Immortal Monster (1959)
Cinematographer
Hercules (1958)
Director Of Photography
I vampiri (1957)
Cinematographer
Nero's Mistress (1956)
Director of Photography
La Donna piu bella del mondo (1955)
Director Of Photography
Pictura--Adventure in Art (1952)
Photographer Vittore Carpaccio seq

Writer (Feature Film)

A Bay of Blood (1971)
Writer
Antefatto (1971)
Screenwriter
Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970)
Screenwriter
Danger: Diabolik (1968)
Screenwriter
Knives of the Avenger (1968)
Screenwriter
Kill Baby Kill (1966)
Screenwriter
Planet of the Vampires (1965)
Screenwriter
Blood and Black Lace (1965)
Screenwriter
Black Sabbath (1964)
Screenplay collab (see note)
Hercules in the Haunted World (1964)
Screenwriter
Evil Eye (1964)
Story & Screenplay
Erik the Conqueror (1963)
Screenwriter
Black Sunday (1961)
Screenwriter
La Maschera del Demonio (1960)
Screenplay

Art Director (Feature Film)

Black Sunday (1961)
Art Director
La Maschera del Demonio (1960)
Art Director

Visual Effects (Feature Film)

Inferno (1980)
Special Effects

Visual Effects (TV Mini-Series)

Moses (1975)
Special Effects

Life Events

1939

First short film as director of photography, Roberto Rossellini's "Il tacchino prepotente"

1943

First feature as director of photography, "L'avventura di Annabella"

1946

Short film directing debut (also director of photography), "L'orecchio"

1960

Feature directing debut (also co-writer; director of photography), "La maschera del demonio/Black Sunday"

Photo Collections

 
1 Photo
Hatchet for the Honeymoon - Movie Poster
Hatchet for the Honeymoon - Movie Poster
2 Photos
Planet of the Vampires - Lobby Cards
Here are a few Lobby Cards from Planet of the Vampires (1965). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Videos

Movie Clip

Black Sabbath (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Come Closer One might do this with another actor but never with the same result, Mario Bava directs Boris Karloff addressing the audience introducing the first episode, titled A Drop Of Water, in the internationally successful Italian-made horror anthology, Black Sabbath, 1964.
Black Sabbath (1964) -- (Movie Clip) We Can Say All We Like About Ghosts Boris Karloff returns for the introduction of the second story, called The Telephone, in the American release of director Mario Bava’s Italian-made horror anthology, Michele Mercier as Rosy who is, we’ll learn, a busy prostitute, in Black Sabbath, 1964.
Blood And Black Lace (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Afterwards I Feel Limp Model Nicole (Arianna Gorini) first is willing to wear the dress that belonged to murdered Isabella, at the Rome fashion house owned by Cristina (Eva Bartok), then finds her diary, much intrigue, and then calls the dead girl’s drug addict lover, in Mario Bava’s Blood And Black Lace, 1964.
Blood And Black Lace (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Antichita Model Nicole (Arianna Gorini) visits Antichita, the Rome antique shop owned by Frank, to deliver the diary belonging to her friend, his lover, murdered the night before, then the same murderer appears, and director/cinematographer Mario Bava gets creative in the setting, in Blood And Black Lace, 1964.
Blood And Black Lace (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Christian Haute Couture After credits and a scene in which the apparent lover of Isabella (Lea Kruger) is desperate for drugs, we meet her, arriving at night at on the grounds of a fancy fashion house in Rome, and assaulted, early in director Mario Bava’s Blood And Black Lace, 1964.
Black Sabbath (1964) -- (Movie Clip) A Drop Of Water Immediately following the Boris Karloff introduction, director Mario Bava gets a lot done in just two shots, introducing French actress Jacqueline Pierreux as nurse Helen in the first episode in the Italian horror anthology Black Sabbath, 1964.
Black Sabbath (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Il Wurdalak Following the Boris Karloff introduction of the third episode in the Italian anthology, invoking eastern Europe and vampires, director Mario Bava finds American actor Mark Damon as Count Vladimir making nasty discoveries in the countryside, in Black Sabbath, 1964.
Hatchet For The Honeymoon -- (Movie Clip) It's Only A Hothouse It's not entirely clear why policeman Russell (Jesus Puente) is visiting serial killer and bridal fashion-house chief John (Stephen Forsyth) at his estate, but they speculate, then meet the newly-hired model Helen (Dagmar Lassander), early in Mario Bava's Hatchet For The Honeymoon, 1970.
Hatchet For The Honeymoon -- (Movie Clip) Do Not Disturb After an abstract opening with nearly elevator music, director and cinematographer Mario Bava is far from orthodox introducing his killer and leading man (Stephen Forsyth), in this English-dubbed version of his Spanish-Italian "Giallo," Hatchet For The Honeymoon, 1970.
Hatchet For The Honeymoon -- (Movie Clip) I Know I Must Kill Cutting from the opening murder on a real train, the hero, fashion-house proprietor John (Stephen Forsyth) with his toys, then very composed narration and the introduction of his troublesome wife (Laura Betti), in Italian director Mario Bava's Hatchet For The Honeymoon, 1970.

Trailer

Black Sabbath (1964) U.S. Trailer Trailer for the substantially re-worked American release by American International Pictures of Italian director Mario Bava's eventually-acclaimed horror anthology, Black Sabbath, 1964, featuring Boris Karloff.
Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs - (Original Trailer) The foppish mad scientist (Vincent Price) plots a scheme to take over the world by killing off the military leaders of every country in Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966).

Family

Eugenio Bava
Father
Director of photography.
Lamberto Bava
Son
Born on April 3, 1944.

Bibliography

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