Jesús Franco
Directing • Born 1930-05-12 – Died 2013-04-02
Biography
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
130 credits
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
Movie • 1973
Morpho
The Castle of Fu Manchu
Movie • 1969
Insp. Ahmet
Count Dracula
Movie • 1970
Van Helsing's servant (uncredited)
The Devil Came from Akasava
Movie • 1971
Tino Celli
The Corpse Packs His Bags
Movie • 1972
Gonzales
Vampire Blues
Movie • 1999
The Merchant
Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie
Movie • 2002
Himself
Journey into Perversion
Movie • 2001
Himself
The Diabolical Dr. Z
Movie • 1966
Inspector Tanner
Falks Frauen
Movie • 2014
(archive footage)
Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess
Movie • 2021
Self (archive footage)
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell
Movie • 1999
Dr. James Wong
Succubus
Movie • 1968
Writer
Attack of the Robots
Movie • 1966
Piano Player
Dr. Orloff's Monster
Movie • 1965
Piano Player
Venus in Furs
Movie • 1969
Jazz Musician (uncredited)
She Killed in Ecstasy
Movie • 1971
Dr. Donen
Eugenie de Sade
Movie • 1973
Attila Tanner
Barbed Wire Dolls
Movie • 1976
Maria's Father (uncredited)
Night of the Skull
Movie • 1974
Andy
Kiss Me Killer
Movie • 1977
Marcel
Female Vampire
Movie • 1975
Dr. Roberts
The Sinister Doctor Orloff
Movie • 1984
Manolo
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse
Movie • 1972
Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub
Take-Away Spirit
Movie • 2009
J.W. Radek
Jailhouse Wardress
Movie • 1981
Uncle Jess
Sex Is Crazy
Movie • 1981
Film Director
The Girl from Rio
Movie • 1969
Guitar Player
Vampyros Lesbos
Movie • 1971
Memmet
Downtown
Movie • 1975
Al Pereira
Women Behind Bars
Movie • 1975
Bill
Exorcism
Movie • 1975
Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue
Sadomania
Movie • 1981
Lucas
Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong
Movie • 1985
Dr. Wong
Midnight Party
Movie • 1976
Janos Radeck
Death Karate in Torremolinos
Movie • 2003
Miyagi
Eugenie
Movie • 1970
Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited)
Celestine
Movie • 1974
Sleeping Man
Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies
Movie • 2013
The Director
La cripta de las condenadas
Movie • 2012
Robinson and His Tempestuous Slaves
Movie • 1972
Director
Slaves
Movie • 1977
Radeck's Assistant
La última película de Jess Franco
Movie • 2013
Self
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
Movie • 2000
Self
Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac
Movie • 1973
Inspecteur Hernandez
The Rhythm of Jess
Movie • 2013
Self
Macumba Sexual
Movie • 1983
Recepcionist
Call Him Jess
Movie • 2000
Himself
Bloody Moon
Movie • 1981
Doctor (uncredited)
Call Me Jess Redux
Movie • 2014
Himself
On the Threshold to Another World
Movie • 2003
Himself
Marquis de Sade: Justine
Movie • 1969
Strange Voyage
Movie • 1964
Don Venancio
White Cannibal Queen
Movie • 1980
Mr. Martin
A Crack for Two
Movie • 1984
Tom
Vampir Cuadecuc
Movie • 1972
Self
Dolls for Sale
Movie • 1973
The Troublemakers
Movie • 1976
Blood on My Shoes
Movie • 1983
Abductor
The Blues of Pop Street
Movie • 1983
Sam Chesterfield
En busca del dragón dorado
Movie • 1983
Blind Old Man
Girl with the Red Lips
Movie • 1986
Professor Karame
El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa
Movie • 1992
Los profundos sueños de Jennifer
Movie • 2013
Voz
The Sadist of Notre Dame
Movie • 1979
Mathis Vogel
Kiss Me Monster
Movie • 1969
Abilene's Contact Man (uncredited)
Shining Sex
Movie • 1976
Dr. Seward
The Night Of Open Sex
Movie • 1983
Count
Your Caresses
Movie • 1969
The Blood of Fu Manchu
Movie • 1968
Red Venice
Movie • 2003
Jess Franco
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff
Movie • 1973
Lord Comfort (uncredited)
Revenge of the Alligator Ladies
Movie • 2013
Himself
Debris Documentar
Movie • 2012
Himself
Flesh-Eating Mothers
Movie • 1988
Policeman
Lucky, the Inscrutable
Movie • 1967
Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista
Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre
Movie • 2007
Pete
See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico!
Movie • 2004
Night Has a Thousand Desires
Movie • 1984
Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Justine and the Whip
Movie • 1979
Strange Guy
Lonely Road
Movie • 1984
Doctor Callman
Black Boots, Leather Whip
Movie • 1983
Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited)
The Hot Nights of Linda
Movie • 1975
Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck)
Around the World in 80 Days
Movie • 1956
Extra (uncredited)
Esa cosa con plumas
Movie • 1988
Tío Jess
Movie • 2012
Self
Jesús Franco, manera de vivir
Movie • 2007
Himself
Drácula Barcelona
Movie • 2017
Himself
Two Undercover Angels
Movie • 1969
Napoleon Bolivard
The Well
Movie • 2005
Idoru
Movie • 2009
99 Women
Movie • 1969
Official (uncredited)
Queridos monstruos
Movie • 2014
Self
Ban the Sadist Videos!
Movie • 2005
Self
Soledad Miranda, Flower in the Desert
Movie • 2015
Himself (archive footage)
Coffins of Light
Movie • 2009
himself
Por la gracia de Luis
Movie • 2009
Himself
What a Honeymoon
Movie • 1980
Dying Man (uncredited)
El misterio del castillo rojo
Movie
Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror
Movie • 2014
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Esmeralda Bay
Movie • 1989
Boat Captain
Attack of the Robots
Movie • 1966
Pianist (uncredited)
Jesús in Furs
Movie • 2005
Himself
Wild Session
Movie • 2019
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Daughter of Dracula
Movie • 1972
Cyril Jefferson
Greta, the Mad Butcher
Movie • 1977
Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco)
The Awful Dr. Orlof
Movie • 1962
Pianist (uncredited)
A Virgin Among the Living Dead
Movie • 1973
Basilio
Ladies House of Pleasure
Movie • 1976
Bahia Blanca
Movie • 1984
The Miseries (uncredited)
Residence for Spies
Movie • 1968
Casino Piano Player (uncredited)
Death Whistles the Blues
Movie • 1964
Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited)
Lilian, the Perverted Virgin
Movie • 1984
Bernardo
Ellos robaron la picha de Hitler
Movie • 2008
Padre del Dr. Weissman
Anna Said Yes
Movie • 1958
Pianista (uncredited)
Bloody Jess
Movie • 2007
Self
Perversion Stories
Movie • 2002
Self
Beloved Count
Movie • 2007
Self
White Skin Black Thighs
Movie • 1976
Graf Anastasio
X312 - Flight to Hell
Movie • 1971
Man at John Somers'
Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S”
Movie • 2024
Self - Archive footage
The Bizarre World of Jess Franco
Movie • 1983
Self
Macumba sexual: Voodoo Jess
Movie • 2010
Self
Jess' Women
Movie • 2005
self
Sexorcismes
Movie • 1975
Mathis Vogel
Trip to Bangkok, Coffin included
Movie • 1985
Rose Hotel's recepcionist (uncredited)
The Other Side of the Mirror
Movie • 1973
Roger (uncredited)
Lorna, the Exorcist
Movie • 1974
Doctor (uncredited)
Eurotika!
TV • 1999
Self
Martes de Carnaval
TV • 2009
Don Manolito