Jesús Franco
Known for Directing · 130 credits
- Born
- 1930-05-12
- Died
- 2013-04-02
- Place of birth
- Madrid, Spain
- Also known as
- Clifford Brown · A.L. Mariaux · Jess Franco · Pablo Villa · Joan Almirall · Rosa M. Almirall
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.
Known For
TV Shows (3)
Movies (127)
Around the World in 80 Days
1956
as Extra (uncredited)
Marquis de Sade: Justine
1969
Vampyros Lesbos
1971
as Memmet
Eugenie
1970
as Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited)
Female Vampire
1975
as Dr. Roberts
Eugenie de Sade
1973
as Attila Tanner
Sadomania
1981
as Lucas
Venus in Furs
1969
as Jazz Musician (uncredited)
Macumba Sexual
1983
as Recepcionist
Celestine
1974
as Sleeping Man
Barbed Wire Dolls
1976
as Maria's Father (uncredited)
Greta, the Mad Butcher
1977
as Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco)
99 Women
1969
as Official (uncredited)
Bahia Blanca
1984
as The Miseries (uncredited)
Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Your Caresses
1969
Midnight Party
1976
as Janos Radeck
Jailhouse Wardress
1981
as Uncle Jess
Count Dracula
1970
as Van Helsing's servant (uncredited)
Two Undercover Angels
1969
as Napoleon Bolivard
The Troublemakers
1976
The Blood of Fu Manchu
1968
Downtown
1975
as Al Pereira
Lorna, the Exorcist
1974
as Doctor (uncredited)
Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac
1973
as Inspecteur Hernandez
A Virgin Among the Living Dead
1973
as Basilio
Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S”
2024
as Self - Archive footage
Bloody Moon
1981
as Doctor (uncredited)
White Cannibal Queen
1980
as Mr. Martin
The Girl from Rio
1969
as Guitar Player
Succubus
1968
as Writer
The Night Of Open Sex
1983
as Count
The Hot Nights of Linda
1975
as Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck)
Esmeralda Bay
1989
as Boat Captain
Slaves
1977
as Radeck's Assistant
The Castle of Fu Manchu
1969
as Insp. Ahmet
The Other Side of the Mirror
1973
as Roger (uncredited)
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
1973
as Morpho
Death Whistles the Blues
1964
as Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited)
The Corpse Packs His Bags
1972
as Gonzales
The Devil Came from Akasava
1971
as Tino Celli
X312 - Flight to Hell
1971
as Man at John Somers'
Daughter of Dracula
1972
as Cyril Jefferson
Blood on My Shoes
1983
as Abductor
The Diabolical Dr. Z
1966
as Inspector Tanner
Exorcism
1975
as Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue
Kiss Me Monster
1969
as Abilene's Contact Man (uncredited)
Kiss Me Killer
1977
as Marcel
Night Has a Thousand Desires
1984
as Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Ban the Sadist Videos!
2005
as Self
Debris Documentar
2012
as Himself
Flesh-Eating Mothers
1988
as Policeman
Strange Voyage
1964
as Don Venancio
She Killed in Ecstasy
1971
as Dr. Donen
Ladies House of Pleasure
1976
Ellos robaron la picha de Hitler
2008
as Padre del Dr. Weissman
Black Boots, Leather Whip
1983
as Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited)
Dr. Orloff's Monster
1965
as Piano Player
La última película de Jess Franco
2013
as Self
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse
1972
as Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub
Sex Is Crazy
1981
as Film Director
Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror
2014
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Vampir Cuadecuc
1972
as Self
Attack of the Robots
1966
as Piano Player / Pianist (uncredited)
Coffins of Light
2009
as himself
Women Behind Bars
1975
as Bill
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff
1973
as Lord Comfort (uncredited)
Robinson and His Tempestuous Slaves
1972
as Director
Lucky, the Inscrutable
1967
as Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista
Drácula Barcelona
2017
as Himself
The Awful Dr. Orlof
1962
as Pianist (uncredited)
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell
1999
as Dr. James Wong
Night of the Skull
1974
as Andy
Revenge of the Alligator Ladies
2013
as Himself
Bloody Jess
2007
as Self
The Sadist of Notre Dame
1979
as Mathis Vogel
Death Karate in Torremolinos
2003
as Miyagi
Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong
1985
as Dr. Wong
What a Honeymoon
1980
as Dying Man (uncredited)
Perversion Stories
2002
as Self
En busca del dragón dorado
1983
as Blind Old Man
On the Threshold to Another World
2003
as Himself
Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie
2002
as Himself
Anna Said Yes
1958
as Pianista (uncredited)
The Well
2005
Beloved Count
2007
as Self
The Blues of Pop Street
1983
as Sam Chesterfield
Residence for Spies
1968
as Casino Piano Player (uncredited)
Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies
2013
as The Director
Queridos monstruos
2014
as Self
Vampire Blues
1999
as The Merchant
El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa
1992
Lonely Road
1984
as Doctor Callman
Los profundos sueños de Jennifer
2013
as Voz
Dolls for Sale
1973
Idoru
2009
Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote
2000
as Self
El misterio del castillo rojo
La cripta de las condenadas
2012
Wild Session
2019
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Por la gracia de Luis
2009
as Himself
Call Him Jess
2000
as Himself
Girl with the Red Lips
1986
as Professor Karame
Sexorcismes
1975
as Mathis Vogel
The Sinister Doctor Orloff
1984
as Manolo
Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included
1985
as Rose Hotel's recepcionist (uncredited)
Macumba sexual: Voodoo Jess
2010
as Self
Tío Jess
2012
as Self
Falks Frauen
2014
as (archive footage)
Jesús Franco, manera de vivir
2007
as Himself
Journey into Perversion
2001
as Himself
Jesús in Furs
2005
as Himself
See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico!
2004
Take-Away Spirit
2009
as J.W. Radek
Soledad Miranda, Flower in the Desert
2015
as Himself (archive footage)
Call Me Jess Redux
2014
as Himself
Esa cosa con plumas
1988
White Skin Black Thighs
1976
as Graf Anastasio
The Bizarre World of Jess Franco
1983
as Self
The Rhythm of Jess
2013
as Self
About 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, a… With 130 credits spanning from 1956 to 2024, Jesús Franco has appeared in 127 films and 3 TV shows.
Fans searching for Jesús Franco movies, Jesús Franco filmography, or the latest projects starring Jesús Franco can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Jesús Franco Movies
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) — as Extra (uncredited)
- Marquis de Sade: Justine (1969)
- Vampyros Lesbos (1971) — as Memmet
- Eugenie (1970) — as Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited)
- Female Vampire (1975) — as Dr. Roberts
Where to Watch Jesús Franco Films
Most Jesús Franco movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Jesús Franco, check our movies catalogue and browse page.