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Paolo Cavara is a Director, Writer and Second Assistant Director Italien born on 4 july 1926 at Bologna (Italie)

Paolo Cavara

Paolo Cavara
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Nationality Italie
Birth 4 july 1926 at Bologna (Italie)
Death 7 august 1982 (at 56 years) at Rome (Italie)

Paolo Cavara (4 July 1926 – 7 August 1982) was an Italian screenwriter and a film director.

Biography

During the Fifties, he studied architecture in Florence University, then he produced documentaries for scientific trips, and emerged as a pioneer of the underwater cinematography (one of these shipments is the important 1951 voyage to Ceylon along with Franco Prosperi documented by local news, that anticipated Folco Quilici’s Sixth Continent experience). Then Cavara worked for a series of Italian National TV films led by Giorgio Moser. But he worked as assistant director too (Timbuctu and Naked Maya, a 1958 production by Henry Koster).

In 1962 Cavara conceived with Gualtiero Jacopetti and directed in its own first shockumentary of the history: Mondo Cane, while Prosperi was credited only for second direction. Cavara travelled in every part of the world, from Africa to Asia, Europe to Japan, putting his life continuing in dangerous. At last he met again Jacopetti in Las Vegas, and together suffered for an automobile accident where Belinda Lee lost her life. The film was presented in Cannes Festival.

Following success Jacopetti tried unjustly to appropriate all merits exposing himself ridiculously to mediatic reflectors. He edited that film but he didn’t realize it. He was imprisoned in Hong Kong when co-directors were at work, stayed in Italy after american incident and months later he came back on set when film was at the end.

Next year La donna nel mondo (Women of the world) was edited with inferior materials of that film. Mondo Cane launched Cavara as author and director. From that moment he doesn’t stop making films, nevertheless that experience left a sign for future projects. Havin’ left his associates he directed the forewarding Malamondo, an “antimondo” on European youth, and in 1967 The Wild Eye (with Alberto Moravia and Tonino Guerra screentwriters added), a definitively breakaway of the genre conducted with spectacular ability that anticipated reflections on cinema making cinema with ambiguous and conscious perspective. Wild eye won Atlanta Festival and was entered into the 5th Moscow International Film Festival.

He did continue with charming, inverted war genre formula's drama The Ravine and David McCallum as protagonist (a promise of ’69 Venice Festival), and in ‘71 Black belly of the tarantula, a cult thriller with a big cast, balanced between documentaries scenes and a human and amazing inspector Giancarlo Giannini.

Following along many others good European successes (comedies, western, TV movie…). A remarkable example is Plot of Fear (his second thriller) with Michele Placido and Eli Wallach, where Cavara exposed in a new and radical shape traditional elements of gothic, police film, and Italian giallo.

Not identified as a conventional director Cavara searched attention, in his not long professional career, on controversial subjects and film characters doing follow his great skilful sensibility for visual contrasts.

He died in Rome in 1982.

Usually with

Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Paolo Cavara (11 films)

Display filmography as list

Director

The innkeeper, 1h49
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Genres Comedy
Actors Adriano Celentano, Claudia Mori, Paolo Villaggio, Marco Messeri, Lorenza Guerrieri, Gianni Cavina
Rating52% 2.6441852.6441852.6441852.6441852.644185
The innkeeper Mirandolina is a beautiful girl, and for her beauty the Count of Albafiorita (Conte di Albafiorita) and the Marquis of Forlimpopoli (Marchese di Forlimpopoli) fall in love. The two noble customers bestow rich gifts to her, trying to ingratiate and to marry her, but the crafty Mirandolina only accepts the money and jewels, leaving them with an inch of them nose. A third man arrives on the scene: the Knight of Ripafratta (Cavaliere di Ripafratta) extremely misogynist, who thinks that the woman bears only man trouble. Mirandolina, who has never seen a man like that, tries to do it on purpose and the knight manages to fall in love with her.
Plot of Fear
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Genres Thriller, Horror, Crime
Actors Michele Placido, Corinne Cléry, Eli Wallach, Tom Skerritt, Quinto Parmeggiani, John Steiner
Rating59% 2.9973952.9973952.9973952.9973952.997395
Inspector Lomenzo investigates a series of murders committed against wealthy people. The murderer is in the habit of leaving illustrations at the crime scene. That's the inspector's sole trace.
Virility
Virility (1974)
, 1h30
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Origin Italie
Genres Comedy, Romance, Sex comedy
Themes Seafaring films, Films about sexuality, Transport films, Erotic films
Actors Turi Ferro, Agostina Belli, Marc Porel, Tuccio Musumeci, Anna Bonaiuto, Attilio Dottesio
Rating61% 3.088593.088593.088593.088593.08859
L'action du film se déroule en Sicile. Vito La Casella ne manque jamais une occasion de prouver sa virilité aux villageois. Il est marié à la jeune Cettina.
Il lumacone, 1h34
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Origin Italie
Genres Comedy, Comedy-drama
Actors Turi Ferro, Agostina Belli, Ninetto Davoli, Francesco Mulé, Gabriella Giorgelli, Alberto Sorrentino
Rating73% 3.694843.694843.694843.694843.69484
Gianni Rodinò, un cuisinier sicilien, abandonné par sa femme, vit dans des conditions de misère morale et matérielle. Il se promène dans les rues de Rome, saoul, parlant seul à voix haute, le regard perdu dans le vide. Il fait la connaissance de Ginetto, un petit délinquant. Ensemble, ils vivent misérablement dans un sous-sol. Gianni Rodinò, déterminé à mettre le jeune homme sur la bonne voie, achète un wagon de chemin de fer en désuétude pour en faire un restaurant à la mode et parvient ainsi à réaliser son rêve et à réhabiliter le jeune garçon.
Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears, 1h31
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Genres Western
Themes Films about disabilities, Buddy films
Actors Anthony Quinn, Franco Nero, Pamela Tiffin, Franco Graziosi, Adolfo lastretti, Antonino Faà di Bruno
Rating55% 2.754292.754292.754292.754292.75429
The Republic of Texas has just gained its independence from Mexico. Erastus "Deaf" Smith, who is a deaf mute, and his partner Johnny Ears are sent by President Sam Houston to stop general Morton, who plots against the annexation of Texas by the USA.
The Black Belly of the Tarantula, 1h38
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Origin Italie
Genres Thriller, Horror, Crime
Themes Serial killer films
Actors Giancarlo Giannini, Claudine Auger, Barbara Bouchet, Barbara Bach, Rossella Falk, Silvano Tranquilli
Rating62% 3.14733.14733.14733.14733.1473
A mysterious killer is attacking women associated with a blackmail conspiracy. The deranged murderer seizes his victims by paralyzing them with a needle and then slicing open their bellies (in the same way tarantulas are killed by the black wasp or spider wasp). It is up to reluctant Inspector Tellini to find out who the killer is, before he or his girlfriend too becomes a target.
The Wild Eye, 1h38
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Genres Drama, Adventure
Actors Philippe Leroy, Delia Boccardo, Gabriele Tinti, Luciana Angiolillo, Gianni Bongioanni
Rating65% 3.274923.274923.274923.274923.27492
Un cinéaste parcourt le monde avec une petite équipe à la recherche de scènes sensationnelles, et quand il peut il fausse la réalité pour la rendre encore plus spectaculaire.
Mondo Cane
Mondo Cane (1962)
, 1h45
Directed by Paolo Cavara, Francesco Prosperi, Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco E. Prosperi
Origin Italie
Genres Drama, Documentary, Horror, Romance
Actors Rossano Brazzi
Rating62% 3.100533.100533.100533.100533.10053
At the beginning, there is a scene with a dog pound. At the dog pound, a dog is presumably killed by other dogs through the camera's point of view. At Castellaneta, Italy, there is a statue dedicated to Rudolph Valentino. In the US, Rossano Brazzi has his shirt torn off by his fans. In New Guinea, there is manhunting. Back at the US, bikini-clad girls woo sailors. Back at New Guinea, pigs are slaughtered for a long-waited feast. In Pasadena, California, pet owners mourn their beloved at a pet cemetery. Meanwhile, at Taipei, Taiwan, dogs are butchered and skinned alive for their meat. In Italy, chicks are painted for Easter. In France, geese are force-fed for foie gras. In Sydney, Australia there are the Life Savers Girls. Nuclear contamination takes its toll of animals on Bikini Atoll. Fishermen at the Malaysian village of Raiputh get even with sharks by shoving sea urchins down their throats. On the island of Tiberia, Italy, men in red robes guard the bones of their ancestors. On the Reeperbahn Strasse of Hamburg, Germans drink excessively and act incredibly stupidly. Tokyo has a massage parlor for men who were drunk. In Macao, the dead are covered in make-up for the funeral. In Singapore there is a hotel for the dying. Cars are smashed at a junkyard of Los Angeles and reduced to cubes. In Czechoslovakia, Yves Klein makes his paintings with the help of some female models and some musicians to express his favorite color, blue. In Honolulu, tourists are showered with leis and witness the Hula Dance. In Nepal, Gurkha soldiers perform a rite of passage by dressing up in women's clothing and bulls are beheaded for ritualistic purposes. In Portugal, there is the running of the bulls and bull fights where matadors challenge the bulls. At Garoka, New Guinea, there are indigenous tribes who go to church. The film concludes with a cargo cult at Port Moresby, New Guinea.
The Naked Maja, 1h51
Directed by Paolo Cavara, Henry Koster
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Adventure, Historical, Romance
Themes Peinture
Actors Ava Gardner, Anthony Franciosa, Gino Buzzanca, Gino Cervi, Lea Padovani, Massimo Serato
Rating55% 2.758322.758322.758322.758322.75832
En Espagne, à la fin du XVIII siècle, le peintre Francisco de Goya fait la connaissance de la duchesse d'Albe. Elle devient son mécène, son modèle et sa maîtresse...

Scriptwriter

Stay As You Are, 1h35
Directed by Alberto Lattuada
Genres Drama, Erotic, Romance
Themes Films about families, Films about sexuality, Erotic films
Actors Nastassja Kinski, Marcello Mastroianni, Ania Pieroni, Mónica Randall, Francisco Rabal, Barbara De Rossi
Roles Story
Rating62% 3.1441053.1441053.1441053.1441053.144105
While in Florence on business, Roman landscape architect Giulio Marengo meets an alluring college student, Francesca, and spends the night with her. She is the foster daughter of an agriculturist named Bartolo who has looked after her since the death of her mother, Flora. Later, a friend of Giulio's sees Franscesca in a restaurant and implies that she might be Giulio's daughter. It is a possibility since Giulio had been going out with Flora the year before Francesca was born. Shocked by the idea, Giulio tries to cool his relationship with Francesca. Meanwhile, he is distracted by the revelation that his unmarried daughter Alexandra, who is about the same age as Francesca, is pregnant.
Plot of Fear
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Genres Thriller, Horror, Crime
Actors Michele Placido, Corinne Cléry, Eli Wallach, Tom Skerritt, Quinto Parmeggiani, John Steiner
Roles Story
Rating59% 2.9973952.9973952.9973952.9973952.997395
Inspector Lomenzo investigates a series of murders committed against wealthy people. The murderer is in the habit of leaving illustrations at the crime scene. That's the inspector's sole trace.
Il lumacone, 1h34
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Origin Italie
Genres Comedy, Comedy-drama
Actors Turi Ferro, Agostina Belli, Ninetto Davoli, Francesco Mulé, Gabriella Giorgelli, Alberto Sorrentino
Roles Story
Rating73% 3.694843.694843.694843.694843.69484
Gianni Rodinò, un cuisinier sicilien, abandonné par sa femme, vit dans des conditions de misère morale et matérielle. Il se promène dans les rues de Rome, saoul, parlant seul à voix haute, le regard perdu dans le vide. Il fait la connaissance de Ginetto, un petit délinquant. Ensemble, ils vivent misérablement dans un sous-sol. Gianni Rodinò, déterminé à mettre le jeune homme sur la bonne voie, achète un wagon de chemin de fer en désuétude pour en faire un restaurant à la mode et parvient ainsi à réaliser son rêve et à réhabiliter le jeune garçon.
Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears, 1h31
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Genres Western
Themes Films about disabilities, Buddy films
Actors Anthony Quinn, Franco Nero, Pamela Tiffin, Franco Graziosi, Adolfo lastretti, Antonino Faà di Bruno
Roles Writer
Rating55% 2.754292.754292.754292.754292.75429
The Republic of Texas has just gained its independence from Mexico. Erastus "Deaf" Smith, who is a deaf mute, and his partner Johnny Ears are sent by President Sam Houston to stop general Morton, who plots against the annexation of Texas by the USA.
The Wild Eye, 1h38
Directed by Paolo Cavara
Genres Drama, Adventure
Actors Philippe Leroy, Delia Boccardo, Gabriele Tinti, Luciana Angiolillo, Gianni Bongioanni
Roles Story
Rating65% 3.274923.274923.274923.274923.27492
Un cinéaste parcourt le monde avec une petite équipe à la recherche de scènes sensationnelles, et quand il peut il fausse la réalité pour la rendre encore plus spectaculaire.