Carlo Rambaldi (September 15, 1925 – August 10, 2012) was an Italian

special effect Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wor ...

s artist, winner of three

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

: one Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

for the 1976 version of ''

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'' and two Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

and

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

for, respectively, ''

Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

'' (1979) and '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982). He is most famous for his work in those two last mentioned films, that is for the mechanical head-effects for the creature in ''Alien'' and the design of the title character of ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''.

Early life

Carlo Rambaldi was born September 15, 1925 in

Vigarano Mainarda Vigarano Mainarda ( Ferrarese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ferrara in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northeast of Bologna and about west of Ferrara. Vigarano Mainarda borders the following municipalities ...

Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

. Assante, Ernesto (August 10, 2012)
"Addio a Carlo Rambaldi il creatore di E.T. e Alien"
''

la Repubblica ''la Repubblica'' (; the Republic) is an Italian daily general-interest newspaper. It was founded in 1976 in Rome by Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso (now known as GEDI Gruppo Editoriale) and led by Eugenio Scalfari, Carlo Caracciolo and Arnoldo ...

'' He studied painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, where he developed a passion for electromechanics and the skeleton and musculature of the human body. He was heavily influenced by the work of

Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

and the Italian artist

Renato Guttuso Renato Guttuso (26 December 1911 – 18 January 1987) was an Italian painter and politician. His best-known works include ''Flight from Etna'' (1938–39), ''Crucifixion'' (1941) and ''La Vucciria'' (1974). Guttuso also designed for the theatre ( ...

."Obituaries: Carlo Rambaldi"
''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

''. October 5, 2012

Career

Rambaldi's first work in film was creating a fire-breathing dragon for the 1957 Italian picture ''Sigfrido'' (titled in the English version as ''

The Dragon's Blood ''The Dragon's Blood'' ( it, Sigfrido) is a 1957 Italian fantasy film co-written and directed by Giacomo Gentilomo. It is based on Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen''. Plot The dying Siegland reaches the house of the dwarf Mime, beggi ...

''). In 1963 he became a full-time special effects artist. He worked with Italian directors including

Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the Ma ...

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

Mario Monicelli Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the ''Commedia all'Italiana'' (Comedy Italian style). He was nominated six times for an Oscar, and was awa ...

and

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...

. Some films he worked on included ''Medusa vs the Son of Hercules'' (1962), ''

Bloody Pit of Horror ''Bloody Pit of Horror'' ( it, Il Boia Scarlatto) is a 1965 gothic horror film. The film, set in Italy, was directed by Domenico Massimo Pupillo and stars Mickey Hargitay, Walter Brandi, Luisa Baratto and Rita Klein. It tells the story of a g ...

'' (1965), ''

Planet of the Vampires ''Planet of the Vampires'' ( it, Terrore nello Spazio, lit=Terror in Space) is a 1965 Italian-Spanish science fiction horror film, produced by Fulvio Lucisano, directed by Mario Bava, that stars Barry Sullivan and Norma Bengell. The screenplay ...

'' (1965), ''

Hercules and the Princess of Troy ''Hercules and the Princess of Troy'' is a 1965 Italian-American made-for-television adventure fantasy film directed by Albert Band. It was originally made as a pilot for a television series which never materialized.Hughes, p.25 Albeit very shor ...

'' (1965), '' L'Odissea'' (1968, a TV miniseries), ''

A Bay of Blood ''A Bay of Blood'' (Italian: ''Ecologia del delitto'', lit. "Ecology of Crime", later retitled ''Reazione a catena'' it. "Chain Reaction" (also known as ''Carnage'', ''Twitch of the Death Nerve'' and ''Blood Bath'') is a 1971 Italian giallo sla ...

'' (1972), ''

The Night of the Devils ''The Night of the Devils'' ( it, La notte dei diavoli, es, La noche de los diablos) is a 1972 film directed by Giorgio Ferroni. It is loosely based on the Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy's novel ''The Family of the Vourdalak''. Plot The patria ...

'' (1972), ''

Andy Warhol's Frankenstein ''Flesh for Frankenstein'' is a 1973 horror film written and directed by Paul Morrissey. It stars Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Monique van Vooren and Arno Juerging. Interiors were filmed at Cinecittà in Rome by a crew of Italian filmmakers. In W ...

'' (1974), ''

Andy Warhol's Dracula ''Blood for Dracula'' is a 1974 horror film written and directed by Paul Morrissey and starring Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Maxime McKendry, Stefania Casini, Arno Juerging, and Vittorio de Sica. Upon its initial 1974 release in West Germany and t ...

'' (1974), ''

Deep Red ''Deep Red'' ( it, Profondo rosso), also known as ''The Hatchet Murders'', is a 1975 Italian Thriller film, thriller- giallo film directed by Dario Argento and co-written by Argento and Bernardino Zapponi. It stars David Hemmings as a musician wh ...

'' (''Profondo Rosso'', 1975), ''

'' (1976), ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'' (1977), ''

'' (1979), ''

Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...

'' (1979), ''

Possession Possession may refer to: Law * Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance * Drug possession, a crime * Ownership * ...

'' (1981), '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

'' (1984), ''

Conan the Destroyer ''Conan the Destroyer'' is a 1984 American epic sword and sorcery film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Stanley Mann and a story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. ...

'' (1984), ''

Silver Bullet In folklore, a bullet cast from silver is often one of the few weapons that are effective against a werewolf or witch. The term ''silver bullet'' is also a metaphor for a simple, seemingly magical, solution to a difficult problem: for example, pe ...

'' (1985), '' Cat's Eye'' (1985), ''

King Kong Lives ''King Kong Lives'' (released as ''King Kong 2'' in some countries) is a 1986 American monster adventure film directed by John Guillermin. Produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and featuring special effects by Carlo Rambaldi, the film s ...

'' (1986) and ''

Cameron's Closet ''Cameron's Closet'', also known as ''Cameron's Terror'', is a 1989 American supernatural horror film. The film was directed by Armand Mastroianni and stars Scott Curtis, Cotter Smith, Mel Harris, Tab Hunter, Kim Lankford, Gary Hudson and Wil ...

'' (1988), among others. Rambaldi had the distinction of being the first special effects artist to be required to prove that his work on a film was not 'real'. Dog-mutilation scenes in the 1971 film ''

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin ''A Lizard in a Woman's Skin'' ( it, Una lucertola con la pelle di donna) is a 1971 ''giallo'' film directed by Lucio Fulci and produced by Edmondo Amati and Robert Dorfmann. It stars Florinda Bolkan, Stanley Baker, Jean Sorel, Leo Genn, and Anit ...

'' were so convincingly visceral that its director,

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...

, was prosecuted for offenses relating to

animal cruelty Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or Injury, harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...

. Fulci would have served a two-year prison sentence, had Rambaldi not exhibited the film's array of props to a courtroom, proving that the scene was not filmed using real animals. Rambaldi's last screen credit was on the 1988 horror film ''Primal Rage'', directed by his son Vittorio. When computer-generated special effects became common place, Rambaldi complained, "Any kid with a computer can reproduce the special effects seen in today’s movies. The mystery's gone. The curiosity that viewers once felt when they saw special effects has disappeared. It's as if a magician had revealed all of his tricks... There’s no question that these computer films are well packaged but the charm has disappeared... If

Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

were to film ''E.T.'' today using the latest technology I'm not sure it would be a hit because the techniques they’re using at the moment couldn't reproduce the tender expression of ET's eyes, for example. The secret of creating what technology is unable to express lies in the work of the artisan, who is able to develop characteristics that touch our deepest emotions."

Personal life and death

Carlo Rambaldi married Bruna Basso, with whom he had a son, Vittorio, and a daughter, Daniela. Another son, Alessandro, died of a rare form of leukemia at 33 years of age. Rambaldi died after a long illness on August 10, 2012 in

Lamezia Terme Lamezia Terme (), commonly called Lamezia, is an Italian city and ''comune'' of 70,452 inhabitants (2013), in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region. Geography Lamezia is located on the eastern border of the coastal plain commonly cal ...

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, where he had lived for the last decade of his life, after relocating to be near his daughter and grandchildren. His ashes were laid to rest in the family tomb in Vigarano Mainarda, near his son Alessandro.

Select filmography

Academy Awards

One Special Achievement Academy Award

* 1977 ( 49th): for Best Visual Effects for ''King Kong'' (1976), shared with Glen Robinson and

Frank Van der Veer Frank Willard Van der Veer (June 2, 1921 – January 7, 1982) was an American optical and visual special effects artist who won (and shared) a Special Achievement Academy Award at the 49th Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects for the film ''King ...

Two Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects

* 1980 ( 52nd): for Best Visual Effects for ''

'' (1979), shared with

H. R. Giger Hans Ruedi Giger ( ; ; 5 February 1940 – 12 May 2014) was a Swiss artist best known for his airbrushed images that blended human physiques with machines, an art style known as " biomechanical". Giger later abandoned airbrush for pastels, mark ...

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...

Nick Allder Nick Allder is an English special effects supervisor and coordinator. He started his career as an assistant camera operator and moved, after eight years, into special effects. He has won multiple awards, including an Academy Award for Best Vis ...

, and Dennis Ayling * 1983 ( 55th): for Best Visual Effects for '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), shared with

Dennis Muren Dennis Muren, A.S.C (born November 1, 1946) is an American film visual effects artist and supervisor. He has worked on the films of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and James Cameron, among others, and has won nine Oscars in total: eight for Bes ...

and

Kenneth F. Smith Kenneth F. Smith is a special effects artist. He works at Industrial Light & Magic, ILM as well. He also won 2 Academy awards. Oscars Both films were in the category of Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Best Visual Effects *55th Academy Awa ...

Other awards

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

* 1982: Special Award, "''for the body of his work''"

Saturn Awards

* 1983: for Best Special Effects for '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), shared with Dennis Muren

MystFest Awards

* 1985: Special Award, "''for his whole activities''"''MystFest'' is the commonly used abbreviation for the "International Mystery Film Festival of

Cattolica Cattolica (; rgn, Catòlga) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Rimini, Italy, with 16,233 inhabitants as of 2007. History Archaeological excavations show that the area was already settled in ancient Rome, Roman times. Cattolica rose a ...

", in Italian "''Festival internazionale del giallo e del mistero di Cattolica''"

Los Angeles Italian Film Awards

* 2000: Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Special Effects

David di Donatello Awards

* 2002: Special David Award

Notes

References

Footnotes

Sources

* * * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rambaldi, Carlo Special effects people 1925 births 2012 deaths People from the Province of Ferrara People from Lamezia Terme David di Donatello Career Award winners Special Achievement Academy Award winners Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna alumni