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