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