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Jesús Franco

Jesús Franco

Birthday: 1930-05-12 | Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain

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 his Faceless and Killer Barbys, his post-1984 films are almost unwatchable due to the incredibly low budgets he was forced to work with. 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.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

2024
2017
Drácula Barcelona

as    Himself

2013
2013
The Rhythm of Jess

as    Self

2013
Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies

as    The Director

2012
Debris Documentar

as    Himself

2010
2009
Por la gracia de Luis

as    Himself

2009
Coffins of Light

as    himself

2007
Beloved Count

as    Self

2005
Ban the Sadist Videos!

as    Self

2005
Jess' Women

as    self

2003
2003
Death Karate in Torremolinos

as    Miyagi

1989
Esmeralda Bay

as    Boat Captain

1986
Girl with the Red Lips

as    Professor Karame

1985
1984
Camino solitario

as    Doctor Callman

1984
The Sinister Doctor Orloff

as    Manolo

1984
Night Has a Thousand Desires

as    Psychiatrist (uncredited)

1984
Bahia Blanca

as    The Miseries (uncredited)

1983
Bloody Moon

as    Doctor (uncredited)

1983
Macumba Sexual

as    Recepcionist