Jesús Franco
Born: 1930-05-12 in Madrid, Spain
Died: 2013-04-02
Known For: Directing
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
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
- Call Me Jess Redux as Himself
- Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Queridos monstruos as Self
- Falks Frauen as (archive footage)
2013
- The Rhythm of Jess as Self
- Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies as The Director
- Revenge of the Alligator Ladies as Himself
- La última película de Jess Franco as Self
- Los profundos sueños de Jennifer as Voz
2012
- Debris Documentar as Himself
- La cripta de las condenadas: Parte II ... (Director)
- La cripta de las condenadas
- Tío Jess as Self
2010
- Paula-Paula ... (Director)
- Macumba sexual: Voodoo Jess as Self
2009
- Martes de Carnaval as Don Manolito
- Idoru
- Take-Away Spirit as J.W. Radek
- Coffins of Light as himself
- Por la gracia de Luis as Himself
2008
- Vampyros Lesbos ... (Story)
- Ellos robaron la picha de Hitler as Padre del Dr. Weissman
- A Bad Day at the Cemetery ... (Director)
2007
- Jesús Franco, manera de vivir as Himself
- Beloved Count as Self
- Lascivia ... (Director)
- Bloody Jess as Self
- Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre as Pete
2006
- Montes de Venus ... (Director)
2005
- Ban the Sadist Videos! as Self
- The Well
- Jess' Women as self
- Jesús in Furs as Himself
- Snakewoman ... (Original Music Composer)
- Jess Franco's Perversion ... (Director)
- Jess Franco's Passion ... (Writer)
2003
- Death Karate in Torremolinos as Miyagi
- On the Threshold to Another World as Himself
- Red Venice as Jess Franco
2002
- Incubus ... (Director)
- Killer Barbys vs. Dracula ... (Director)
- Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie as Himself
- Perversion Stories as Self
2001
- Vampire Junction ... (Director)
- Journey into Perversion as Himself
2000
- Blind Target ... (Director)
- Call Him Jess as Himself
- Helter Skelter ... (Director)
- Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote as Self
1999
- Red Silk ... (Screenplay)
- Eurotika! as Self
- Broken Dolls ... (Director)
- Vampire Blues as The Merchant
- Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell as Dr. James Wong
1998
- Lust for Frankenstein ... (Screenplay)
- Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula ... (Director)
1997
- Tender Flesh ... (Screenplay)
1996
- Vampire Killer Barbys ... (Writer)
1994
- Downtown Heat ... (Director)
1993
- Eurotrash
- Jungle of Fear ... (Director)
1992
- Don Quixote ... (Editor)
- El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa
1991
- In Pursuit of Barbara ... (Director)
1990
- Mondo Weirdo ... (Thanks)
1989
- Esmeralda Bay as Boat Captain
- Night of the Eagles ... (Director)
1988
- Faceless ... (Director)
- Flesh-Eating Mothers as Policeman
- Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil ... (Director)
- Esa cosa con plumas
1987
- Trapped Women ... (Director)
- Thong Girls ... (Editor)
- Slave of Crime ... (Screenplay)
- ¡Biba la banda! ... (Costumer)
- Falo Crest ... (Director)
- Phollastía ... (Director)
1986
- Golden Temple Amazons ... (Producer)
- Fury in the Tropics ... (Director)
- Sida, la peste del siglo XX ... (Screenplay)
- Alone Against Terror ... (Original Music Composer)
- The Last from Philippines ... (Editor)
- Girl with the Red Lips as Professor Karame
- Lulu's Talking Ass ... (Screenplay)
- Fly Story ... (Director)
- The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist ... (Director)
- Para las nenas, leche calentita ... (Original Music Composer)
- Entre pitos anda el juego ... (Director)
- Las chuponas ... (Director)
1985
- Angel of Death ... (Director)
- White Jungle Slave ... (Director)
- Dirty Game in Casablanca ... (Director)
- Bangkok, City of the Dead ... (Director)
- Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included as Rose Hotel's recepcionist (uncredited)
- Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong as Dr. Wong
- Un pito para tres ... (Story)
1984
- The Sexual Story of O ... (Screenplay)
- Bahia Blanca as The Miseries (uncredited)
- The Sinister Doctor Orloff as Manolo
- Night Has a Thousand Desires as Psychiatrist (uncredited)
- How Much Does a Spy Make? ... (Director)
- Lonely Road as Doctor Callman
- A Crack for Two as Tom
- Lilian, the Perverted Virgin as Bernardo
1983
- Cecilia ... (Producer)
- Cries of Pleasure ... (Writer)
- Macumba Sexual as Recepcionist
- The Hotel of Love Affairs ... (Editor)
- En busca del dragón dorado as Blind Old Man
- Black Boots, Leather Whip as Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited)
- The House of Lost Women ... (Director)
- Diamonds of Kilimandjaro ... (Director)
- The Night Of Open Sex as Count
- Revenge in the House of Usher ... (Original Music Composer)
- Voces de muerte ... (Director)
- Blood on My Shoes as Abductor
- The Blues of Pop Street as Sam Chesterfield
- The Bizarre World of Jess Franco as Self
- Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist ... (Director)
- Claire ... (Director)
1982
- Oasis of the Zombies ... (Screenplay)
- Mansion of the Living Dead ... (Screenplay)
- The Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle ... (Editor)
- El lago de las vírgenes ... (Original Music Composer)
- El huésped de la niebla ... (Director)
1981
- Sex Is Crazy as Film Director
- The Story of Linda ... (Director)
- Sadomania as Lucas
- Pick-Up Girls ... (Screenplay)
- Zombie Lake ... (Writer)
- Bloody Moon as Doctor (uncredited)
- Jailhouse Wardress as Uncle Jess
- The Girls of the Copacabana ... (Director)
- Sexual Perversions of a Married Woman ... (Director)
- Lola 2000 ... (Director)
1980
- White Cannibal Queen as Mr. Martin
- Erotic Symphony ... (Director)
- Devil Hunter ... (Director)
- Two Female Spies with Flowered Panties ... (Director)
- Cannibal Terror ... (Writer)
- Wicked Memoirs of Eugenie ... (Writer)
- What a Honeymoon as Dying Man (uncredited)
1979
- Burning Up Inside ... (Writer)
- Convoy of Girls ... (Writer)
- The Sadist of Notre Dame as Mathis Vogel
- Justine and the Whip as Strange Guy
- They Do Everything ... (Director)
1978
- Women in Cellblock 9 ... (Director)
- Obscene Desire ... (Music)
- Women Without Innocence ... (Director)
- Cocktail spécial ... (Director)
1977
- Sexy Sisters ... (Director)
- Call of the Blonde Goddess ... (Director)
- Greta, the Mad Butcher as Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco)
- Love Camp ... (Director)
- Blue Rita ... (Director)
- Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun ... (Director)
- Kiss Me Killer as Marcel
- Slaves as Radeck's Assistant
- Around the World in 80 Beds ... (Director)
1976
- Ladies House of Pleasure
- Barbed Wire Dolls as Maria's Father (uncredited)
- Midnight Party as Janos Radeck
- Jack the Ripper ... (Screenplay)
- Golden Jail ... (Director)
- Silence of the Grave ... (Director)
- The Troublemakers
- Shining Sex as Dr. Seward
- White Skin Black Thighs as Graf Anastasio
- Doriana Grey ... (Director)
- Girls in the Night Traffic ... (Director)
1975
- Female Vampire as Dr. Roberts
- Countess Perverse ... (Director)
- The Ticklish Ones ... (Director)
- The Hot Nights of Linda as Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck)
- Downtown as Al Pereira
- Exorcism as Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue
- Sexy Erotic Job ... (Director)
- A Virgin for St. Tropez ... (Director)
- Women Behind Bars as Bill
- Sexorcismes as Mathis Vogel
- Rolls-Royce Baby ... (Director)
1974
- Celestine as Sleeping Man
- Lorna, the Exorcist as Doctor (uncredited)
- The House of the Lost Dolls ... (Screenplay)
- How to Seduce a Virgin ... (Director)
- The Lustful Amazons ... (Director)
- Night of the Skull as Andy
- The Greedy Ones ... (Director)
1973
- Eugenie de Sade as Attila Tanner
- Dolls for Sale
- The Demons ... (Writer)
- A Virgin Among the Living Dead as Basilio
- The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein as Morpho
- Nightmares Come at Night ... (Director)
- Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac as Inspecteur Hernandez
- The Other Side of the Mirror as Roger (uncredited)
- Lovers of Devil's Island ... (Director)
- Tender and Perverse Emmanuelle ... (Director)
- Fifteen Year Old Captain ... (Director)
- The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff as Lord Comfort (uncredited)
1972
- Vampir Cuadecuc as Self
- Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein ... (Story)
- The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse as Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub
- Robinson and His Tempestuous Slaves as Director
- Daughter of Dracula as Cyril Jefferson
- Virgin Report ... (Director)
- The Corpse Packs His Bags as Gonzales
1971
- Vampyros Lesbos as Memmet
- The Devil Came from Akasava as Tino Celli
- She Killed in Ecstasy as Dr. Donen
- X312 - Flight to Hell as Man at John Somers'
1970
- Cuadrilátero ... (Music)
- Eugenie as Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited)
- Count Dracula as Van Helsing's servant (uncredited)
- The Bloody Judge ... (Director)
1969
- Marquis de Sade: Justine
- 99 Women as Official (uncredited)
- The Girl from Rio as Guitar Player
- Kiss Me Monster as Abilene's Contact Man (uncredited)
- Two Undercover Angels as Napoleon Bolivard
- Venus in Furs as Jazz Musician (uncredited)
- The Castle of Fu Manchu as Insp. Ahmet
- Your Caresses
1968
- Succubus as Writer
- The Blood of Fu Manchu
- Castle of the Creeping Flesh ... (Story)
- A Man, Eight Girls ... (Director)
- Residence for Spies as Casino Piano Player (uncredited)
1967
- Lucky, the Inscrutable as Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista
1966
- Attack of the Robots as Piano Player
- The Diabolical Dr. Z as Inspector Tanner
1965
- Chimes at Midnight ... (Second Unit Director)
- Dr. Orloff's Monster as Piano Player
1964
- Strange Voyage as Don Venancio
- Death Whistles the Blues as Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited)
- Rififi in the City ... (Director)
1963
- 55 Days at Peking ... (Assistant Production Manager)
- Jaguar ... (Director)
1962
- Vampiresas 1930 ... (Director)
- The Awful Dr. Orlof as Pianist (uncredited)
- The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus ... (Director)
- Zorro the Avenger ... (Screenplay)
1960
- Estampas guipuzcoanas número 2: Pío Baroja ... (Director)
- Red Lips ... (Director)
- Queen of the Tabarin Club ... (Director)
- Ama Rosa ... (Writer)
- El destierro del Cid ... (Director)
1959
- Oro español ... (Director)
- Las playas vacías ... (Screenplay)
- We Are 18 Years Old ... (Director)
- Llegaron los franceses ... (Writer)
1958
- Historias de Madrid ... (Music)
- Anna Said Yes as Pianista (uncredited)
1957
- Fulano y Mengano ... (Screenplay)
- El hombre que viajaba despacito ... (Music)
- The Tree from Spain ... (Screenplay)
1956
- Around the World in 80 Days as Extra (uncredited)
- The Mysterious Melody AKA Ce soir les souris dansent ... (Writer)
- The Coyote's Justice ... (Screenstory)
1955
- Death of a Cyclist ... (Assistant Director)
- The Coyote ... (Dialogue)
1954
- Comedians ... (Script Supervisor)
- Merry Christmas ... (Assistant Director)