Born in Sanremo in 1914 and died in Rome in 1980, Mario Bava began as a cinematographer, like his father, and worked on films by Pietro Francisci, Riccardo Freda and others before directing. He is regarded as the father of Italian horror and of the giallo, with a baroque style based on coloured lighting, sets and camera tricks that he created on tiny budgets. Black Sunday (1960), The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963), the first giallo, Black Sabbath and Blood and Black Lace (1964) set the model for Dario Argento and others. Bay of Blood (1971) is a precursor of the slasher film.
Filmography
- Black Sunday (1960)
- Hercules in the Haunted World (1961)
- The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)
- Black Sabbath (1963)
- Blood and Black Lace (1964)
- Planet of the Vampires (1965)
- Kill, Baby, Kill (1966)
- Danger: Diabolik (1968)
- Bay of Blood (1971)
- Lisa and the Devil (1973)
- Rabid Dogs (1974)
- Shock (1977)