Jesús Franco
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.
Born: May 12, 1930
Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain
Known For
Filmography
as Self - Archive footage
as Self (archive footage)
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
as Himself
as Himself (archive footage)
as Self
as Himself
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
as Himself
as Self
as The Director
as Self
as Himself
as Himself
as himself
as Padre del Dr. Weissman
as Himself
as Self
as Self
as Himself
as Miyagi
as Jess Franco
as Himself
as Himself
as Self
as The Merchant
as Dr. James Wong
as Boat Captain
as Policeman
as Professor Karame
as Rose Hotel's recepcionist (uncredited)
as Dr. Wong
as Tom
as Bernardo
as Manolo
as Psychiatrist (uncredited)
as Doctor Callman
as The Miseries (uncredited)
as Recepcionist
as Count
as Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited)
as Abductor
as Sam Chesterfield
as Blind Old Man
as Uncle Jess
as Lucas
as Doctor (uncredited)
as Film Director
as Mr. Martin
as Dying Man (uncredited)
as Strange Guy
as Mathis Vogel
as Radeck's Assistant
as Marcel
as Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco)
as Dr. Seward
as Graf Anastasio
as Maria's Father (uncredited)
as Janos Radeck
as Al Pereira
as Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue
as Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck)
as Bill
as Mathis Vogel
as Sleeping Man
as Andy
as Basilio
as Inspecteur Hernandez
as Dr. Roberts
as Morpho
as Attila Tanner
as Lord Comfort (uncredited)
as Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub
as Cyril Jefferson
as Gonzales
as Director
as Self
as Dr. Donen
as Man at John Somers'
as Memmet
as Tino Celli
as Van Helsing's servant (uncredited)
as Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited)
as Jazz Musician (uncredited)
as Insp. Ahmet
as Napoleon Bolivard
as Abilene's Contact Man (uncredited)
as Guitar Player
as Official (uncredited)
as Writer
as Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista
as Inspector Tanner
as Piano Player
as Pianist (uncredited)
as Casino Piano Player (uncredited)
as Don Venancio
as Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited)
as Piano Player
as Pianist (uncredited)
as Pianista (uncredited)
as Extra (uncredited)