URING THE PRODUCTION of La maschera del demonio, Mario Bava made the decision to fol- low that auspicious career chapter by return- ing to work as a motion picture cameraman—as though his opportunity to direct had never happened. He would follow the creation of his seminal horror classic with a gruelling six-month schedule of supportive (and partly anonymous) work that has mostly gone unchronicled. Bava’s main project during this period would be
DETAIL of US one-sheet poster.
directing the photography of Galatea’s upcoming in- ternational co-production with 20th Century-Fox, Esther and the King, to be directed by the legendary American filmmaker, Raoul Walsh. In the six-week period between the completion of La maschera del demonio on May 7 and the June 27 start date of Esther and the King, Bava loaned some uncredited assistance to the latest Steve Reeves picture, a co- production between Lux Film and Adelphia Cinematografica entitled Morgan il pirata.
