Mario Bava's Long Apprenticeship in Italian Cinema

Before directing his first credited feature, Mario Bava spent more than two decades handling a wide variety of film craft. He entered the Italian film industry in the late 1930s, working as a resourceful cameraman, make-up artist, special effects technician, and screenwriter. It was not until 1960 that he made his official solo directorial debut with the stylish Barbara Steele vehicle Maschera del Demonio (Black Sunday).