Osvaldo Cavandoli

Omaggio a

Osvaldo Cavandoli

Cava was born in 1920 at Maderno del Garda. From there he moves to Milan.

In 1944 he joins the Pagot Film company as animator and collaborates in the creation of “I fratelli Dinamite”, (The Dynamite Brothers), the first fulllength Italian animated cartoon. In the 50’s he creates “Pupilandia”, a company for the production of films for advertising campaigns using animated puppets. From 1965-67 he works for Marco Biassoni on the TV carousels “Arriva Lancillotto” for the Pavesi Company. In 1968 he creates La Linea (The Line), a personage synthesized in a single long sinuous graphic stroke. He proposes this to the Lagostina cookware company, who chooses it for its advertising campaign. Cava makes 35 TV carousels with La Linea, immediately successful, both with the public and at the most important International festivals of animated films. In the period 1973-75, Bompiani publishes the book “La Linea” and the strokes of “La Linea” are published in “Il Giornalino”. In 1977, Cava creates the first series of humorous “La Linea” films; abroad he reaps one success after another. In 1982, for Altan, Cava is responsible for the direction of the TV series “La Pimpa”. In the meantime, other books of Cava’s appear – “La Linea Superstar,” “Golf is a Serious Thing,” “Versi e Versacci”. On Italian TV, La Linea reappears as a trade mark for the RAI’s “Pinocchio” and for the TMC’s “Galagoal”.

Cava with La Linea decorates the offices of the Allianz Insurance Company of Berlin in 1998. In the same year, he joins the ANU, the National Association of Humorists and, for many years, together with Marco Biassoni, he is among the protagonists of the FestiValtravaglia dell’Arte Leggera, an institutional ANU event. Subsequently, the Province of Milan produces the documentary “Osvaldo Cavandoli, Maestro of Humour”, the Festival of the RAI “Cartoons on the Bay of Positano” confers on him
the “Pulcinella Award 2002 for his career. And in 2006 he is given praise as “Maestro” at the Annecy Festival of Cinema of Animation. On March 3rd 2007, Cava says goodbye to the world.

Carlo Squillante