Jesús Franco
Known for: Directing
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
Series
Eurotrash
1993
Film
Around the World in 80 Days
Extra (uncredited)
1956
Film
The Girl from Rio
Guitar Player
1969
Film
White Cannibal Queen
Mr. Martin
1980
Film
Marquis de Sade: Justine
1969
Film
Female Vampire
Dr. Roberts
1975
Film
Eugenie de Sade
Attila Tanner
1973
Film
Eugenie
Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited)
1970
Film
Call Him Jess
Himself
2000
Film
Vampyros Lesbos
Memmet
1971
Film
Sex Is Crazy
Film Director
1981
Film
Celestine
Sleeping Man
1974
Film
Strange Voyage
Don Venancio
1964
Film
Greta, the Mad Butcher
Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco)
1977
Film
Sadomania
Lucas
1981
Series
Eurotika!
Self
1999
Series
Martes de Carnaval
Don Manolito
2009
Film
99 Women
Official (uncredited)
1969
Film
Ladies House of Pleasure
1976
Film
Lorna, the Exorcist
Doctor (uncredited)
1974
Film
Count Dracula
Van Helsing's servant (uncredited)
1970
Film
Vampir Cuadecuc
Self
1972
Film
Kiss Me Monster
Abilene's Contact Man (uncredited)
1969
Film
Barbed Wire Dolls
Maria's Father (uncredited)
1976
See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico!
2004
Film
A Virgin Among the Living Dead
Basilio
1973
Film
Midnight Party
Janos Radeck
1976
Film
Dolls for Sale
1973
Film
Call Me Jess Redux
Himself
2014
Film
Bloody Moon
Doctor (uncredited)
1981
Film
Slaves
Radeck's Assistant
1977
Film
Downtown
Al Pereira
1975
Film
The Blood of Fu Manchu
1968
Film
Kiss Me Killer
Marcel
1977
Film
Jailhouse Wardress
Uncle Jess
1981
Film
Two Undercover Angels
Napoleon Bolivard
1969
Beloved Count
Self
2007
Film
Succubus
Writer
1968
Film
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse
Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub
1972
Film
En busca del dragón dorado
Blind Old Man
1983
Film
Venus in Furs
Jazz Musician (uncredited)
1969
Film
Ban the Sadist Videos!
Self
2005
Film
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
Morpho
1973
Film
Macumba Sexual
Recepcionist
1983
Film
Jesús Franco, manera de vivir
Himself
2007
Film
Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac
Inspecteur Hernandez
1973
Film
She Killed in Ecstasy
Dr. Donen
1971
Film
The Hot Nights of Linda
Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck)
1975
Film
Attack of the Robots
Piano Player
1966
Film
Attack of the Robots
Pianist (uncredited)
1966
Film
Esmeralda Bay
Boat Captain
1989
Film
Lucky, the Inscrutable
Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista
1967
Film
Robinson and His Tempestuous Slaves
Director
1972
Film
The Castle of Fu Manchu
Insp. Ahmet
1969
Film
Flesh-Eating Mothers
Policeman
1988
Film
Bahia Blanca
The Miseries (uncredited)
1984
Take-Away Spirit
J.W. Radek
2009
Film
Night of the Skull
Andy
1974
Film
Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S”
Self - Archive footage
2024
Film
Black Boots, Leather Whip
Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited)
1983
Film
The Other Side of the Mirror
Roger (uncredited)
1973
Film
The Sinister Doctor Orloff
Manolo
1984
Film
The Night Of Open Sex
Count
1983
Film
The Awful Dr. Orlof
Pianist (uncredited)
1962
Film
Exorcism
Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue
1975
Film
Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2014
Film
The Diabolical Dr. Z
Inspector Tanner
1966
Film
Daughter of Dracula
Cyril Jefferson
1972
Film
Night Has a Thousand Desires
Psychiatrist (uncredited)
1984
Bloody Jess
Self
2007
Film
Your Caresses
1969
Film
Idoru
2009
Film
The Devil Came from Akasava
Tino Celli
1971
Film
Anna Said Yes
Pianista (uncredited)
1958
Film
X312 - Flight to Hell
Man at John Somers'
1971
Film
The Well
2005
Jess' Women
self
2005
Film
Sexorcismes
Mathis Vogel
1975
Film
Ellos robaron la picha de Hitler
Padre del Dr. Weissman
2008
Film
Drácula Barcelona
Himself
2017
Film
Jesús in Furs
Himself
2005
Film
Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong
Dr. Wong
1985
Macumba sexual: Voodoo Jess
Self
2010
Film
Dr. Orloff's Monster
Piano Player
1965
Film
Death Karate in Torremolinos
Miyagi
2003
Film
Debris Documentar
Himself
2012
Film
The Rhythm of Jess
Self
2013
Film
The Troublemakers
1976
Film
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff
Lord Comfort (uncredited)
1973
Film
The Sadist of Notre Dame
Mathis Vogel
1979
Film
La última película de Jess Franco
Self
2013
Film
Death Whistles the Blues
Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited)
1964
Film
Wild Session
Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
2019
Film
What a Honeymoon
Dying Man (uncredited)
1980
Film
Women Behind Bars
Bill
1975
Film
Coffins of Light
himself
2009
Film
The Corpse Packs His Bags
Gonzales
1972
Film
Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included
Rose Hotel's recepcionist (uncredited)
1985
Film
Residence for Spies
Casino Piano Player (uncredited)
1968
Film
Queridos monstruos
Self
2014
Film
Blood on My Shoes
Abductor
1983
Film
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
Self
2000
Film
Girl with the Red Lips
Professor Karame
1986
Falks Frauen
(archive footage)
2014
Film
Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies
The Director
2013
Film
Soledad Miranda, Flower in the Desert
Himself (archive footage)
2015
El misterio del castillo rojo
Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie
Himself
2002
Film
The Blues of Pop Street
Sam Chesterfield
1983
Film
El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa
1992
Film
Lonely Road
Doctor Callman
1984
Film
Vampire Blues
The Merchant
1999
The Bizarre World of Jess Franco
Self
1983
Perversion Stories
Self
2002
Film
Revenge of the Alligator Ladies
Himself
2013
On the Threshold to Another World
Himself
2003
Film
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell
Dr. James Wong
1999
Film
Por la gracia de Luis
Himself
2009
Film
La cripta de las condenadas
2012
Film
Tío Jess
Self
2012
Film
Journey into Perversion
Himself
2001
Los profundos sueños de Jennifer
Voz
2013
Film
Esa cosa con plumas
1988
Film
A Crack for Two
Tom
1984
Film
Shining Sex
Dr. Seward
1976
Film
Red Venice
Jess Franco
2003
Film
Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre
Pete
2007
Film
Justine and the Whip
Strange Guy
1979
Film
Lilian, the Perverted Virgin
Bernardo
1984
Film
White Skin Black Thighs
Graf Anastasio
1976