image of Jesús Franco
Birthday: May 12, 1930
Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain

Jesús Franco

Jesús "Jess" Franco was a Spanish film director, writer, cinematographer and actor. His career took off in 1961 with his cult classic The Awful Dr. Orloff, which received wide distribution in the United States and England. Though he had some American box office success with Necronomicon, his first women-in-prison film Ninety-Nine Women, and his two Christopher Lee films, The Bloody Judge and Count Dracula, he never achieved wide commercial success. Franco moved from Spain to France in 1970 so that he could make more violent and sexual films, and it was at this point that his career began to go downhill commercially, as he turned to low-budget filmmaking with a heavier accent on adult-oriented films. Although he produced a few well-received, low budget horror films in the early 70's, many people in the industry considered him a porn director due to the huge number of X-rated adult films he began churning out. Franco returned to low-budget horror in a brief comeback period from 1980-1983, but after 1983, his career took a second downturn. With the exception of Faceless and Killer Barbies, his films after 1984 are quite disliked and obscure due to their incredibly low budgets. Franco has nevertheless retained a large cult following through the years with his sexually-charged horror films, some of which are regarded as masterpieces by his avid followers.

Filmography
Movie Cast Year
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein Morpho 1973
The Castle of Fu Manchu Insp. Ahmet 1969
Count Dracula Van Helsing's servant (uncredited) 1970
The Devil Came from Akasava Tino Celli 1971
The Corpse Packs His Bags Gonzales 1972
Vampire Blues The Merchant 1999
Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie Himself 2002
Journey into Perversion Himself 2001
The Diabolical Dr. Z Inspector Tanner 1966
Falks Frauen (archive footage) 2014
Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess Self (archive footage) 2021
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell Dr. James Wong 1999
Succubus Writer 1968
Attack of the Robots Piano Player 1966
Dr. Orloff's Monster Piano Player 1964
Venus in Furs Jazz Musician (uncredited) 1969
She Killed in Ecstasy Dr. Donen 1971
Eugenie de Sade Attila Tanner 1973
Barbed Wire Dolls Maria's Father (uncredited) 1976
Night of the Skull Andy 1974
Kiss Me Killer Marcel 1977
Female Vampire Dr. Roberts 1973
The Sinister Doctor Orloff Manolo 1984
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub 1972
Take-Away Spirit J.W. Radek 2009
Jailhouse Wardress Uncle Jess 1981
Sex Is Crazy Film Director 1981
The Girl from Rio Guitar Player 1969
Vampyros Lesbos Memmet 1971
Downtown Al Pereira 1975
Women Behind Bars Bill 1975
Exorcism Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue 1975
Sadomania Lucas 1981
Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong Dr. Wong 1985
Midnight Party Janos Radeck 1976
Death Karate in Torremolinos Miyagi 2003
Eugenie Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited) 1970
Celestine Sleeping Man 1974
Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies The Director 2013
La cripta de las condenadas 2012
Robinson and His Tempestuous Slaves Director 1972
Slaves Radeck's Assistant 1977
La última película de Jess Franco Self 2013
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote Self 2000
Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac Inspecteur Hernandez 1973
The Rhythm of Jess Self 2013
Macumba Sexual Recepcionist 1983
Call Him Jess Himself 2000
Bloody Moon Doctor (uncredited) 1981
Call Me Jess Redux Himself 2014
On the Threshold to Another World Himself 2003
Marquis de Sade: Justine 1969
Strange Voyage Don Venancio 1964
White Cannibal Queen Mr. Martin 1980
A Crack for Two Tom 1984
Vampir Cuadecuc Self 1972
Dolls for Sale 1973
Les emmerdeuses 1976
Blood on My Shoes Abductor 1983
The Blues of Pop Street Sam Chesterfield 1983
En busca del dragón dorado Blind Old Man 1983
Girl with the Red Lips Professor Karame 1986
El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa 1992
Los profundos sueños de Jennifer Voz 2013
The Sadist of Notre Dame Mathis Vogel 1979
Kiss Me Monster Abilene's Contact Man 1969
Shining Sex Dr. Seward 1976
The Night Of Open Sex Count 1983
Your Caresses 1969
The Blood of Fu Manchu 1968
Red Venice Jess Franco 2003
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff Lord Comfort (uncredited) 1973
Revenge of the Alligator Ladies Himself 2013
Debris Documentar Himself 2012
Flesh Eating Mothers Policeman 1988
Lucky, the Inscrutable Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista 1967
Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre Pete 2007
See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico! 2004
Night Has a Thousand Desires Psychiatrist (uncredited) 1984
Justine and the Whip Strange Guy 1979
Camino solitario Doctor Callman 1984
Black Boots, Leather Whip Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited) 1983
The Hot Nights of Linda Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck) 1975
Around the World in Eighty Days Extra (uncredited) 1956
Esa cosa con plumas 1988
Tío Jess Self 2012
Jesús Franco, manera de vivir Himself 2007
Drácula Barcelona Himself 2017
Two Undercover Angels Napoleon Bolivard 1969
The Well 2005
Idoru 2009
Martes de Carnaval 2008
99 Women Official (uncredited) 1969
Queridos monstruos Self 2014
Ban the Sadist Videos! Self 2005
Soledad Miranda, Flower in the Desert Himself (archive footage) 2015
Coffins of Light himself 2009
Por la gracia de Luis Himself 2009
What a Honeymoon Dying Man (uncredited) 1980
El misterio del castillo rojo 1973
Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 2014
Esmeralda Bay Boat Captain 1989
Attack of the Robots Pianist (uncredited) 1966
Jesús in Furs Himself 2005
Wild Session Self - Filmmaker (archive footage) 2019
Daughter of Dracula Cyril Jefferson 1972
Greta, the Mad Butcher Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco) 1977
The Awful Dr. Orlof Pianist (uncredited) 1962
A Virgin Among the Living Dead Basilio 1973
Ladies House of Pleasure 1976
Bahia Blanca The Miseries (uncredited) 1984
Residence for Spies Casino Piano Player (uncredited) 1966
Death Whistles the Blues Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited) 1964
Lilian, the Perverted Virgin Bernardo 1984
Ellos robaron la picha de Hitler Padre del Dr. Weissman 2008
Anna Said Yes Pianista (uncredited) 1958
Bloody Jess Self 2007
Perversion Stories Self 2002
Beloved Count Self 2007
White Skin Black Thighs Graf Anastasio 1976
X312 - Flight to Hell Man at John Somers' 1971
Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada 'S' Self - Archive footage 2024
Demoniac 1975
The Bizarre World of Jess Franco Self 1988
Series Cast Year
Eurotika! Self 1999
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