Jesús Franco
Born
May 12, 1930
Died
April 2, 2013 (82 years old)
Known For
Directing
Place of Birth
Madrid, Spain
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
Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada 'S'
Self - Archive footage
2024
Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess
Self (archive footage)
2021
Wild Session
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2019
Drácula Barcelona
Himself
2017
Soledad Miranda, Flower in the Desert
Himself (archive footage)
2015
Queridos monstruos
Self
2014
Call Me Jess Redux
Himself
2014
Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2014
Falks Frauen
(archive footage)
2014
Revenge of the Alligator Ladies
Himself
2013
La última película de Jess Franco
Self
2013
The Rhythm of Jess
Self
2013
Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies
The Director
2013
Los profundos sueños de Jennifer
Voz
2013
Tío Jess
Self
2012
La cripta de las condenadas
2012
Debris Documentar
Himself
2012
Macumba sexual: Voodoo Jess
Self
2010
Por la gracia de Luis
Himself
2009
Idoru
2009
Take-Away Spirit
J.W. Radek
2009
Coffins of Light
himself
2009
Ellos robaron la picha de Hitler
Padre del Dr. Weissman
2008
Martes de Carnaval
2008
Jesús Franco, manera de vivir
Himself
2007
Beloved Count
Self
2007
Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre
Pete
2007
Bloody Jess
Self
2007
Ban the Sadist Videos!
Self
2005
The Well
2005
Jesús in Furs
Himself
2005
Jess' Women
self
2005
See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico!
2004
On the Threshold to Another World
Himself
2003
Death Karate in Torremolinos
Miyagi
2003
Red Venice
Jess Franco
2003
Perversion Stories
Self
2002
Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie
Himself
2002
Journey into Perversion
Himself
2001
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
Self
2000
Call Him Jess
Himself
2000
Eurotika!
Self · (1 episode)
1999
Vampire Blues
The Merchant
1999
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell
Dr. James Wong
1999
El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa
1992
Esmeralda Bay
Boat Captain
1989
Flesh-Eating Mothers
Policeman
1988
Esa cosa con plumas
1988
Girl with the Red Lips
Professor Karame
1986
Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong
Dr. Wong
1985
A Crack for Two
Tom
1984
Lilian, the Perverted Virgin
Bernardo
1984
The Sinister Doctor Orloff
Manolo
1984
Night Has a Thousand Desires
Psychiatrist (uncredited)
1984
Camino solitario
Doctor Callman
1984
Bahia Blanca
The Miseries (uncredited)
1984
Macumba Sexual
Recepcionist
1983
The Night Of Open Sex
Count
1983
Black Boots, Leather Whip
Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited)
1983
En busca del dragón dorado
Blind Old Man
1983
The Blues of Pop Street
Sam Chesterfield
1983
Blood on My Shoes
Abductor
1983
The Bizarre World of Jess Franco
Self
1983
Jailhouse Wardress
Uncle Jess
1981
Sadomania
Lucas
1981
Bloody Moon
Doctor (uncredited)
1981
Sex Is Crazy
Film Director
1981
White Cannibal Queen
Mr. Martin
1980
What a Honeymoon
Dying Man (uncredited)
1980
Justine and the Whip
Strange Guy
1979
The Sadist of Notre Dame
Mathis Vogel
1979
Slaves
Radeck's Assistant
1977
Kiss Me Killer
Marcel
1977
Greta, the Mad Butcher
Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco)
1977
Shining Sex
Dr. Seward
1976
White Skin Black Thighs
Graf Anastasio
1976
Les emmerdeuses
1976
Ladies House of Pleasure
1976
Barbed Wire Dolls
Maria's Father (uncredited)
1976
Midnight Party
Janos Radeck
1976
Downtown
Al Pereira
1975
Exorcism
Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue
1975
Demoniac
1975
The Hot Nights of Linda
Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck)
1975
Women Behind Bars
Bill
1975
Celestine
Sleeping Man
1974
Night of the Skull
Andy
1974
Dolls for Sale
1973
A Virgin Among the Living Dead
Basilio
1973
Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac
Inspecteur Hernandez
1973
Female Vampire
Dr. Roberts
1973
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
Morpho
1973
Eugenie de Sade
Attila Tanner
1973
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff
Lord Comfort (uncredited)
1973
El misterio del castillo rojo
1973
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse
Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub
1972
Daughter of Dracula
Cyril Jefferson
1972
The Corpse Packs His Bags
Gonzales
1972
Robinson and His Tempestuous Slaves
Director
1972
Vampir Cuadecuc
Self
1972
She Killed in Ecstasy
Dr. Donen
1971
X312 - Flight to Hell
Man at John Somers'
1971
Vampyros Lesbos
Memmet
1971
The Devil Came from Akasava
Tino Celli
1971
Count Dracula
Van Helsing's servant (uncredited)
1970
Eugenie
Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited)
1970
Your Caresses
1969
Venus in Furs
Jazz Musician (uncredited)
1969
The Castle of Fu Manchu
Insp. Ahmet
1969
Marquis de Sade: Justine
1969
Kiss Me Monster
Abilene's Contact Man
1969
Two Undercover Angels
Napoleon Bolivard
1969
The Girl from Rio
Guitar Player
1969
99 Women
Official (uncredited)
1969
The Blood of Fu Manchu
1968
Succubus
Writer
1968
Lucky, the Inscrutable
Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista
1967
The Diabolical Dr. Z
Inspector Tanner
1966
Attack of the Robots
Piano Player
1966
Attack of the Robots
Pianist (uncredited)
1966
Residence for Spies
Casino Piano Player (uncredited)
1966
Strange Voyage
Don Venancio
1964
Death Whistles the Blues
Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited)
1964
Dr. Orloff's Monster
Piano Player
1964
The Awful Dr. Orlof
Pianist (uncredited)
1962
Anna Said Yes
Pianista (uncredited)
1958
Around the World in Eighty Days
Extra (uncredited)
1956