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

• 2014Falks Frauen — (archive footage)
• 2013Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies — The Director, Writer, Music, Editor, Producer
• 2013Los profundos sueños de Jennifer — Voz
• 2013Revenge of the Alligator Ladies — Himself, Writer, Director
• 2012La cripta de las condenadas — Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 2012La cripta de las condenadas: Parte II — Director, Producer, Writer, Editor
• 2010Paula-Paula — Director, Special Effects, Director of Photography, Screenplay, Dialogue, Editor
• 2009Idoru
• Martes de Carnaval — Don Manolito
• 2009Take-Away Spirit — J.W. Radek, Additional Dialogue
• 2008A Bad Day at the Cemetery — Screenplay, Director
• 2008Ellos robaron la picha de Hitler — Padre del Dr. Weissman
• 2008Vampyros Lesbos — Story
• 2007Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre — Pete
• 2007Lascivia — Director
• 2006Montes de Venus — Director
• 2005Jess Franco's Passion — Director, Writer
• 2005Jess Franco's Perversion — Writer, Director
• 2005Snakewoman — Writer, Original Music Composer, Director
• 2005The Well
• 2004See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico!
• 2003Death Karate in Torremolinos — Miyagi
• 2003Red Venice — Jess Franco
• 2002Incubus — Director, Writer
• 2002Killer Barbys vs. Dracula — Director, Story, Original Music Composer, Screenplay
• 2001Vampire Junction — Original Music Composer, Director, Writer
• 2000Blind Target — Director, Original Music Composer
• 2000Helter Skelter — Director, Original Music Composer, Writer
• 1999Broken Dolls — Director, Writer
• 1999Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell — Dr. James Wong, Original Music Composer, Director, Writer
• 1999Red Silk — Screenplay, Director
• 1999Vampire Blues — The Merchant, Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director
• 1998Lust for Frankenstein — Producer, Director, Screenplay, Music
• 1998Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula — Producer, Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director
• 1997Tender Flesh — Original Music Composer, Director, Screenplay, Executive Producer
• 1996Vampire Killer Barbys — Director, Writer
• 1994Downtown Heat — Director, Producer, Screenplay
• Eurotrash
• 1993Jungle of Fear — Director, Executive Producer
• 1992Don Quixote — Editor, Supervising Film Editor, Dialogue
• 1992El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa — Director, Editor, Screenplay, Original Music Composer
• 1991In Pursuit of Barbara — Director
• 1990Mondo Weirdo — Thanks
• 1989Esmeralda Bay — Boat Captain, Producer, Director, Writer
• 1989Night of the Eagles — Screenplay, Director, Editor, Art Direction
• 1988Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil — Producer, Editor, Director, Writer
• 1988Esa cosa con plumas
• 1988Faceless — Director, Writer
• 1988Flesh-Eating Mothers — Policeman
• 1987Falo Crest — Cinematography, Writer, Director
• 1987Phollastía — Story, Director, Director of Photography
• 1987Slave of Crime — Original Music Composer, Editor, Director, Screenplay
• 1987Thong Girls — Writer, Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 1987Trapped Women — Director, Screenplay, Editor
• 1987¡Biba la banda! — Costumer
• 1986Alone Against Terror — Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director
• 1986Entre pitos anda el juego — Director, Screenplay, Original Music Composer
• 1986Fury in the Tropics — Director, Director of Photography, Writer, Original Music Composer
• 1986Girl with the Red Lips — Professor Karame, Original Music Composer, Director, Director of Photography, Screenplay
• 1986Golden Temple Amazons — Producer, Director
• 1986Las chuponas — Director, Writer, Director of Photography
• 1986Lulu's Talking Ass — Director, Screenplay, Story, Original Music Composer
• 1986Para las nenas, leche calentita — Original Music Composer, Director, Screenplay, Story
• 1986Sida, la peste del siglo XX — Director, Screenplay, Editor
• 1986The Last from Philippines — Producer, Director, Editor, Director of Photography, Story
• 1986The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist — Director, Writer
• 1985Angel of Death — Director, Screenplay
• 1985Bangkok, City of the Dead — Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director, Editor
• 1985Dirty Game in Casablanca — Director, Producer
• 1985Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong — Dr. Wong, Director, Screenplay, Original Music Composer
• 1985Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included — Rose Hotel's recepcionist (uncredited), Director, Screenplay, Producer, Music
• 1985Un pito para tres — Screenplay, Story, Editor, Director
• 1985White Jungle Slave — Director, Music
• 1984A Crack for Two — Tom, Screenplay, Director, Original Music Composer
• 1984Bahia Blanca — The Miseries (uncredited), Writer, Story, Producer, Screenplay, Director
• 1984How Much Does a Spy Make? — Director, Writer, Producer
• 1984Lilian, the Perverted Virgin — Bernardo, Director, Screenplay, Editor
• 1984Lonely Road — Doctor Callman, Director, Writer, Director of Photography
• 1984Night Has a Thousand Desires — Psychiatrist (uncredited), Director, Writer, Music, Director of Photography
• 1984The Sexual Story of O — Screenplay, Editor, Producer, Director
• 1984The Sinister Doctor Orloff — Manolo, Director, Music, Screenplay
• 1983Black Boots, Leather Whip — Matón en cementerio de coches (voice) (uncredited), Editor, Director, Music, Writer
• 1983Blood on My Shoes — Abductor, Screenplay, Director, Original Music Composer
• 1983Cecilia — Writer, Producer, Director
• 1983Claire — Director
• 1983Cries of Pleasure — Editor, Director, Art Direction, Writer
• 1983Diamonds of Kilimandjaro — Director, Screenplay, Director of Photography, Producer, Original Music Composer
• 1983En busca del dragón dorado — Blind Old Man, Original Music Composer, Screenplay, Director, Editor
• 1983Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist — Director, Music
• 1983Macumba Sexual — Recepcionist, Director, Screenplay, Director of Photography, Story, Music
• 1983Revenge in the House of Usher — Producer, Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director
• 1983The Blues of Pop Street — Sam Chesterfield, Original Music Composer, Screenplay, Director, Director of Photography
• 1983The Hotel of Love Affairs — Director, Editor, Original Music Composer, Screenplay
• 1983The House of Lost Women — Screenplay, Director, Editor
• 1983The Night Of Open Sex — Count, Novel, Adaptation, Director, Director of Photography, Music
• 1983Voces de muerte — Director, Screenplay
• 1982El huésped de la niebla — Director, Director of Photography, Original Music Composer
• 1982Lake of the Virgins — Original Music Composer, Director, Editor, Writer
• 1982Mansion of the Living Dead — Original Music Composer, Director, Screenplay, Director of Photography, Editor, Novel
• 1982Oasis of the Zombies — Director, Screenplay, Editor, Original Music Composer
• 1982The Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle — Director, Editor, Screenplay
• 1981Bloody Moon — Doctor (uncredited), Director
• 1981Jailhouse Wardress — Uncle Jess, Director
• 1981Lola 2000 — Director
• 1981Pick-Up Girls — Screenplay, Editor, Original Music Composer, Director
• 1981Sadomania — Lucas, Director, Screenplay, Music, Editor
• 1981Sex Is Crazy — Film Director, Screenplay, Original Music Composer
• 1981Sexual Perversions of a Married Woman — Writer, Music, Director
• 1981The Girls of the Copacabana — Screenplay, Story, Director
• 1981The Story of Linda — Director
• 1981Zombie Lake — Writer
• 1980Cannibal Terror — Writer
• 1980Devil Hunter — Director, Original Music Composer, Screenplay
• 1980Erotic Symphony — Director, Writer
• 1980Two Female Spies with Flowered Panties — Director, Screenplay, Story, Original Music Composer
• 1980What a Honeymoon — Dying Man (uncredited), Screenplay, Director, Original Music Composer
• 1980White Cannibal Queen — Mr. Martin, Director, Writer
• 1980Wicked Memoirs of Eugenie — Writer, Director
• 1979Burning Up Inside — Writer, Director
• 1979Convoy of Girls — Writer, Director
• 1979Justine and the Whip — Strange Guy, Director, Writer, Cinematography
• 1979The Sadist of Notre Dame — Mathis Vogel, Director, Writer
• 1979They Do Everything — Director, Writer
• 1978Cocktail spécial — Director
• 1978Obscene Desire — Music
• 1978Women Without Innocence — Director, Writer
• 1978Women in Cellblock 9 — Screenplay, Director
• 1977Blue Rita — Director, Writer
• 1977Call of the Blonde Goddess — Director, Writer
• 1977Doriana Grey — Director, Writer
• 1977Greta, the Mad Butcher — Dr. Milton Arcos (as Jess Franco), Writer, Director
• 1977Kiss Me Killer — Marcel, Director, Writer
• 1977Love Camp — Director
• 1977Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun — Director
• 1977Sexy Sisters — Director
• 1977Slaves — Radeck's Assistant, Director
• 1976Around the World in 80 Beds — Director
• 1976Barbed Wire Dolls — Maria's Father (uncredited), Director, Writer, Director of Photography
• 1976Downtown — Al Pereira, Director, Writer, Director of Photography
• 1976Girls in the Night Traffic — Director
• 1976Golden Jail — Director
• 1976Jack the Ripper — Screenplay, Director
• 1976Ladies House of Pleasure
• 1976Midnight Party — Janos Radeck, Director, Writer
• 1976Shining Sex — Dr. Seward, Director, Story
• 1976Silence of the Grave — Director, Producer, Screenplay
• 1976The Troublemakers — Director, Screenplay
• 1976White Skin Black Thighs — Graf Anastasio, Screenplay, Director of Photography
• 1975A Virgin for St. Tropez — Director
• 1975Countess Perverse — Writer, Director
• 1975Exorcism — Mathis Vogel, aka Laforgue, Director, Screenplay
• 1975Female Vampire — Dr. Roberts, Writer, Editor, Director, Director of Photography
• 1975Rolls-Royce Baby — Director
• 1975Sexorcismes — Mathis Vogel, Director, Adaptation, Dialogue, Writer
• 1975Sexy Erotic Job — Director
• 1975The Hot Nights of Linda — Dr. Roberts (as Jess Franck), Screenplay, Director, Story
• 1975The Ticklish Ones — Story, Director
• 1975Women Behind Bars — Bill, Director, Editor, Director of Photography
• 1974Celestine — Sleeping Man, Director, Writer, Director of Photography
• 1974How to Seduce a Virgin — Director, Writer
• 1974Lorna, the Exorcist — Doctor (uncredited), Writer, Director
• 1974Night of the Skull — Andy, Director, Screenplay
• 1974The Greedy Ones — Director, Screenplay
• 1974The House of the Lost Dolls — Screenplay
• 1974The Lustful Amazons — Screenplay, Director
• 1973A Virgin Among the Living Dead — Basilio, Director, Writer
• 1973Dolls for Sale — Director
• 1973Eugenie de Sade — Attila Tanner, Writer, Director
• 1973Fifteen Year Old Captain — Director, Writer, Music
• 1973Lovers of Devil's Island — Director, Story, Screenplay
• 1973Nightmares Come at Night — Director, Writer
• 1973Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac — Inspecteur Hernandez, Director, Scenario Writer
• 1973Tender and Perverse Emmanuelle — Director, Writer
• 1973The Demons — Writer, Director
• 1973The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein — Morpho, Director, Screenplay, Story
• 1973The Other Side of the Mirror — Roger (uncredited), Screenplay, Director
• 1973The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff — Lord Comfort (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
• 1972Daughter of Dracula — Cyril Jefferson, Director, Writer
• 1972Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein — Screenplay, Story, Director
• 1972Robinson and His Tempestuous Slaves — Director
• 1972The Corpse Packs His Bags — Gonzales, Screenplay, Director
• 1972The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse — Crosby / Drunk Man in Nightclub, Director, Original Music Composer, Screenplay
• 1972Virgin Report — Director
• 1971She Killed in Ecstasy — Dr. Donen, Writer, Director
• 1971The Devil Came from Akasava — Tino Celli, Director
• 1971Vampyros Lesbos — Memmet, Director, Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Special Effects Makeup Artist
• 1971X312 - Flight to Hell — Man at John Somers', Director, Screenplay
• 1970Count Dracula — Van Helsing's servant (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
• 1970Cuadrilátero — Music
• 1970Eugenie — Man in Red Ritual Scene (uncredited), Director
• 1970The Bloody Judge — Director, Adaptation
• 196999 Women — Official (uncredited), Story, Director, Screenplay
• 1969Kiss Me Monster — Abilene's Contact Man (uncredited), Idea, Director, Screenplay
• 1969Marquis de Sade: Justine — Director
• 1969The Castle of Fu Manchu — Insp. Ahmet, Director
• 1969The Girl from Rio — Guitar Player, Director
• 1969Two Undercover Angels — Napoleon Bolivard, Screenplay, Director
• 1969Venus in Furs — Jazz Musician (uncredited), Writer, Director, Story
• 1969Your Caresses
• 1968A Man, Eight Girls — Director
• 1968Castle of the Creeping Flesh — Story
• 1968Residence for Spies — Casino Piano Player (uncredited), Director, Writer
• 1968Succubus — Writer, Director
• 1968The Blood of Fu Manchu — Director, Story, Screenplay
• 1967Lucky, the Inscrutable — Ciego / Zoltan / Guitarrista, Director, Screenplay
• 1966Attack of the Robots — Piano Player, Pianist (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
• 1966The Diabolical Dr. Z — Inspector Tanner, Screenplay, Director
• 1965Chimes at Midnight — Second Unit Director
• 1965Dr. Orloff's Monster — Piano Player, Director, Dialogue, Screenplay
• 1964Death Whistles the Blues — Saxofonista en Club de Nueva Orleans (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
• 1964Rififi in the City — Director, Writer
• 1964Strange Voyage — Don Venancio
• 196355 Days at Peking — Assistant Production Manager
• 1963Jaguar — Director, Story
• 1962The Awful Dr. Orlof — Pianist (uncredited), Director, Story, Screenplay
• 1962The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus — Director, Screenplay, Story
• 1962Vampiresas 1930 — Director, Screenplay
• 1962Zorro the Avenger — Story, Screenplay
• 1960Ama Rosa — Writer
• 1960El destierro del Cid — Director
• 1960Estampas guipuzcoanas número 2: Pío Baroja — Director
• 1960Queen of the Tabarin Club — Director, Dialogue
• 1960Red Lips — Screenplay, Director
• 1959Las playas vacías — Director, Screenplay
• 1959Llegaron los franceses — Writer
• 1959Oro español — Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director
• 1959We Are 18 Years Old — Director, Writer, Original Music Composer
• 1958Anna Said Yes — Pianista (uncredited), Delegated Producer
• 1958Historias de Madrid — Assistant Director, Music
• 1957El hombre que viajaba despacito — Music, Assistant Director
• 1957Fulano y Mengano — Screenplay, Assistant Director
• 1957The Tree from Spain — Screenplay, Director, Original Music Composer
• 1956Around the World in 80 Days — Extra (uncredited)
• 1956The Coyote's Justice — Screenstory, Lyricist, Screenplay, Dialogue, Adaptation, Assistant Director
• 1956The Mysterious Melody AKA Ce soir les souris dansent — Writer
• 1955Death of a Cyclist — Assistant Director
• 1955The Coyote — Adaptation, Dialogue, Lyricist, Screenplay, Assistant Director
• 1954Comedians — Script Supervisor, Original Music Composer
• 1954Merry Christmas — Assistant Director
• El misterio del castillo rojo — Director
• Fly Story — Director
• Juliette — Director
• Shining Sex — Director

Appearances as themselves (30)

• 2024Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S” — Self - Archive footage
• 2021Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Wild Session — Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
• 2017Drácula Barcelona — Himself
• 2015Soledad Miranda, Flower in the Desert — Himself (archive footage)
• 2014Call Me Jess Redux — Himself
• 2014Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2014Queridos monstruos — Self
• 2013La última película de Jess Franco — Self
• 2013The Rhythm of Jess — Self
• 2012Debris Documentar — Himself
• 2012Tío Jess — Self
• 2010Macumba sexual: Voodoo Jess — Self
• 2009Coffins of Light — himself
• 2009Por la gracia de Luis — Himself
• 2007Beloved Count — Self
• 2007Bloody Jess — Self
• 2007Jesús Franco, manera de vivir — Himself
• 2005Ban the Sadist Videos! — Self
• 2005Jess' Women — self
• 2005Jesús in Furs — Himself
• 2003On the Threshold to Another World — Himself
• 2002Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie — Himself
• 2002Perversion Stories — Self
• 2001Journey into Perversion — Himself
• 2000Call Him Jess — Himself
• 2000Orson Welles in the Land of Don Quixote — Self
• Eurotika! — Self
• 1983The Bizarre World of Jess Franco — Self
• 1972Vampir Cuadecuc — Self