Jesús "Jess" Franco (born 12 May 1930 as Jesús Franco Manera) is 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 (1967), Ninety-Nine Women (1968) 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 films. Although he produced a few well-received, low budget horror films in the early 1970s (Dracula vs Frankenstein, Vampyros Lesbos, A Virgin Among the Living Dead), many people in the industry considered him a porn director due to the huge number of X-rated adult films he began releasing. Franco returned to low-budget horror in a brief comeback period from 1980-1983 (Bloody Moon, Mondo Cannibale, Oasis of the Zombies), but after 1983, his career took a second downturn as he drifted back into porn. With the exception of his Faceless (1988) and Killer Barbys (1996), his post-1983 films have been plagued with incredibly low budgets and limited resources, and many of his recent films were shot on video.
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. Franco's fans tend to obsessively collect all of his films (both the good and the execrable) and line up for hours at horror conventions for a chance to meet him in person.
Career
Franco has sometimes worked under various
pseudonyms, including
David Khune and
Frank Hollmann. A big fan of
jazz music (and a musician himself), many of his pseudonyms are taken from famous jazz musicians, such as
Clifford Brown and
James P. Johnson. Franco made a half-dozen films starring the Spanish beauty
Soledad Miranda, and when she was killed in a tragic automobile accident in 1970, he took a teenage actress named
Lina Romay under his wing and made her his new "star". Since 1971, Romay has been his most often utilized actress, as well as his life companion, soulmate and muse.
Franco's themes often revolved around
lesbian vampires,
women in prison, surgical horror, sadomasochism, zombies and sexploitation (including several films based on the writings of the
Marquis de Sade). Franco also worked in other
exploitation film genres, such as
cannibal films, spy films,
giallo, crime films, science fiction, jungle adventure, exorcist films, war movies, historical dramas and
nunsploitation. His main claim to fame is that he has managed to write and direct close to 160 motion pictures in his lifetime, encompassing a wide swath of different genres, with practically no financial backing available to him.
His sex movies often contain long, uninterrupted shots of nude women writhing uncontrollably on the floor or in a bed (such as in Lorna The Exorcist and The Bare-Breasted Countess). Most of his hardcore films starred his companion Lina Romay, who has admitted to being an exhibitionist. Franco is also notorious for his use of hand-held camera and zoom shots, which he feels actually lends realism to his films.
He has frequently worked with genre actors
Howard Vernon,
Antonio Mayans,
Paul Müller,
Christopher Lee,
Soledad Miranda,
Maria Rohm,
Lina Romay and
Klaus Kinski. Kinski was famous for his hatred of directors, but according to Franco, he never had any trouble working with him.
Franco was supposed to direct a film for Eurocine Productions in 1980 called Lake of the Living Dead but he could not do it, so producer Daniel Lesouer hired Jean Rollin to direct it, and the film was eventually retitled Zombie Lake. Lesouer then had Rollin direct some brand new zombie footage to be inserted into Franco's A Virgin Among The Living Dead (1971) for its re-release in 1981. (In the U.S., Wizard Video released the edited version of Virgin containing the Rollin footage on VHS in the 1980s; Image Entertainment released Franco's original, preferred cut of the film on DVD in 2003, with Rollin's footage included as supplemental material.) Franco was later hired by Lesouer to direct a film for Eurocine called Oasis of the Zombies (1981), which had a plot that was similar to Zombie Lake (also involving revived Nazi zombies).
Filmography
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border:1px #aaa solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:95%"
! colspan=4 style="background:LightSteelBlue"| Films
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center"
! Year
! Title
! Alternative Title(s)
! Notes
|-
| 1959
|
We Are Eighteen || ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1960
|
Red Lips|| ||
|-
|
Queen of the Tabarin|| ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1961
|
Vampiresses 1930|| ||
|-
|
The Awful Dr. Orloff ||
Gritos en la Noche ·
Screams in the Night ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1962
|
Death Whistles the Blues||
La Muerte Silba Un Blues ||
|-
|
The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus ||
Hand of a Dead Man ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1963
|
The Jaguar||
Sfida Selvaggio/ Savage Challenge||
|-
|
Rififi in the City|| ||
|-
| 1964
|
Dr. Orloff's Monster ||
The Secret of Dr. Orloff ·
The Mistresses of Dr. Jekyll ||
|-
| 1965
|
The Diabolical Dr. Z ||
Miss Muerte ·
Miss Death ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1966
|
Attack of the Robots ||
Cards on the Table ·
Cards Face Up ||
|-
|
Residence for Spies|| ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1967
|
Lucky the Inscrutable|| ||
|-
|
Necronomicon ||
Succubus ·
Necronomicon Dreamt Sin ||
|-
| rowspan=7 | 1968
|
Kiss Me, Monster ||
Besame Monstruo ||
|-
|
Two Undercover Angels||
Red Lips Sadisterotica ||
|-
|
The Blood of Fu Manchu ||
Fu Manchu and the Kiss of Death ·
Kiss and Kill ||
|-
|
The Castle of Fu Manchu|| ||
|-
|
The Girl from Rio ||
Su-muru ·
City Without Men ||
|-
|
99 Women|| ||
|-
|
Marquis de Sade's Justine ||
Deadly Sanctuary ||
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1969
|
Eugenie, The Story of Her Journey into Perversion ||
Les Inassouvies ·
The Insatiable Ones ||
|-
|
Venus in Furs||
Black Angel ·
Paroxismus ||
|-
|
The Bloody Judge ||
Throne of Fire ·
Night of the Blood Monster ·
The Witch-Killer of Blackmoor ||
|-
|
Count Dracula|| ||
|-
| rowspan=9 | 1970
|
Sex Charade|| ||
|-
|
Eugenie de Sade 2000|| ||
|-
|
Nightmares Come at Night ||
Eyes of the Night ||
|-
|
Vampyros Lesbos ||
Las Vampiras ||
|-
|
She Killed in Ecstasy||
Mrs. Hyde ||
|-
|
The Devil Came from Akasava|| ||
|-
|
The Death Avenger of Soho ||
Death Packs His Suitcase ||
|-
|
X-312 Flight to Hell|| ||
|-
|
The Revenge of Dr. Mabuse||
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse ||
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1971
|
Virgin Report||
Jungfrauen Report ||
|-
|
Robinson and His Wild Slaves ||
Sexy Darlings ·
Three Naked Women on Robinson Island ||
|-
|
Dracula vs Frankenstein ||
Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein ·
The Screaming Dead ||
|-
|
A Virgin Among the Living Dead ||
Christina, Princess of Eroticism ||
|-
|
Lovers of Devil's Island ||
Devil's Island Lovers ||
|-
|
Daughter of Dracula|| ||
|-
| rowspan=8 | 1972
|
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein ||
The Curse of Frankenstein ||
|-
|
The Demons||
She-Demons ·
Les Demons ·
The Nuns of Clichy ||
|-
|
Sinner: Diary of a Nymphomaniac ||
Sinner ||
|-
|
Dolls For Sale ||
The House of Vice ·
Vibrating Girls ·
Les Ebranlees ||
|-
|
A Captain of 15 Years|| ||
|-
|
Silence of the Grave||
Un Silencio de Tumba ||
|-
|
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff||
The Eyes of Dr. Orloff ||
|-
|
Mystery of the Red Castle ||||unfinished
|-
| rowspan=10 | 1973
|
The Other Side of the Mirror ||
The Obscene Mirror ||
|-
|
How to Seduce a Virgin ||
Pleasure for Three ·
Beyond the Grave ||
|-
|
The Bare-Breasted Countess ||
Female Vampire ·
Le Comtesse Noire ·
The Loves of Irina ·
Erotikill ·
The Swallowers ·
Les Avaleuses ||
|-
|
Maciste vs. the Amazon Queen ||
Lustful Amazons ||
|-
|
The Erotic Exploits of Maciste in Atlantis ||
Les Gloutonnes ·
The Gobblers ||
|-
|
Kiss Me Killer ||||unfinished
|-
|
Linda's Hot Nights ||
Who Raped Linda? ||
|-
|
The Perverse Countess ||
Les Croqueuses ·
La Comtesse Perverse ·
The Munchers ||
|-
|
Tender and Perverse Emanuelle|| ||
|-
|
Relax, Baby ||||unfinished
|-
| rowspan=8 | 1974
|
Night of the Skull ||
Sospiri ·
Night of the Killers ||
|-
|
Celestine, Maid at your Service|| ||
|-
|
Sexy a Go-Go|| ||
|-
|
The Sexiest Man in the World|| ||
|-
|
Exorcism and Black Masses ||
Exorcisme ||
|-
|
Lorna the Exorcist ||
The Devil's Possessed ||
|-
|
The Ticklish Ones ||
Nuns in Madness ·
Les Chatouilleuses ||
|-
|
The Troublemakers ||
Les Emmerdeuses ||
|-
| rowspan=11 | 1975
|
Lady Porno ||
Midnight Party ||
|-
|
Shining Sex ||
The Girl With the Shining Sex ||
|-
|
Two Women in a Golden Cage ||
Razzia Sur le Plaisir ||
|-
|
De Sade's Juliette|| ||
|-
|
Barbed Wire Dolls||
Frauengefängnis ·
Caged Women ||
|-
|
Women Behind Bars ||
Diamonds For Hell ||
|-
|
Downtown: The Naked Dolls of the Underworld|| ||
|-
|
The Portrait of Doriana Gray||
Doriana Gray||
|-
|
The Slaves ||
Die Sklavinnen ||
|-
|
Mandinga ||||unfinished
|-
|
White Skin, Black Thigh || ||
|-
| rowspan=10 | 1977
|
Jack the Ripper||
Erotico Profondo||
|-
|
Love Camp|| ||
|-
|
Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun|| ||
|-
|
Sexy Sisters ||
Swedish Nympho Slaves ||
|-
|
Call of the Blonde Goddess ||
Porno Shock ||
|-
|
Greta the Mad Butcher ||
Ilsa The Wicked Warden ·
Ilsa Ultimate Power ||
|-
|
Wild Lust|| ||
|-
|
Women Without Innocence ||
Wicked Women ||
|-
|
Women in Cellblock Nine|| ||
|-
|
Blue Rita ||
Das Frauenhaus ·
House of Women ||
|-
| rowspan=5 | 1978
|
They Do It All ||
Elles Font Tout ||
|-
|
I'm Burning Up All Over|| ||
|-
|
Cocktail Special|| ||
|-
|
Two Female Spies with Flowered Panties ||
Opal of Fire ||
|-
|
Erotic Symphony|| ||
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1979
|
Sadist of Notre Dame ||
Demoniac ||
|-
|
Mondo Cannibale ||
Cannibals ·
White Cannibal Queen ||
|-
|
The Girls of the Copacabana|| ||
|-
|
Man Hunter ||
Sexo Canibal ·
Devil Hunter ·
Mandingo Manhunter ||
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1980
|
Sex Is Crazy|| ||
|-
|
Eugenie: The Story of a Perversion|| ||
|-
|
Pick-Up Girls ||
The Girl in the Transparent Panties ||
|-
|
Sadomania: The Hell of Passion||
Hellhole Women||
|-
|
The Story of Linda ||
Naked Super-Witches of the Rio Amore ||
|-
|
Bloody Moon ||
Profondo Tenebre ·
Die Sage des Todes ·
The Saw of Death ||
|-
| rowspan=6 | 1981
|
Cecilia: Sexual Aberrations of a Married Woman||
Blue Underground ||
|-
|
Lake of the Virgins|| ||
|-
|
Night of the Open Vaginas|| ||
|-
|
The Hotel of Love Affairs||
The Hotel of Rendezvous||
|-
|
Oasis of the Zombies||
Tomb of the Living Dead ·
Blood-Sucking Nazi Zombies ·
Abyss of the Living Dead||
|-
|
Macumba Sexual|| ||
|-
| rowspan=10 | 1982
|
Moans of Pleasure||
Gemidos de Placer||
|-
|
The Sexual Story of O|| ||
|-
|
Black Boots, Leather Whip|| ||
|-
|
The Inconfessable Orgies of Emanuelle||
Emanuelle Exposed ||
|-
|
The Sinister Dr. Orloff ||
Macabre Experiments ||
|-
|
House of Lost Women|| ||
|-
|
The Night Has a Thousand Sexes|| ||
|-
|
The Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist|| ||
|-
|
A Buttcrack for Two|| ||
|-
|
Mansion of the Living Dead|| ||
|-
| rowspan=10 | 1983
|
Lonely Road ||
Camino Solitario ||
|-
|
Blood on My Shoes|| ||
|-
|
Alone Against Terror|| ||
|-
|
The Blues of Pop Street|| ||
|-
|
Fury in the Tropics ||
Orgasmo Perverso ||
|-
|
Lillian the Perverted Virgin|| ||
|-
|
The Tanga Girls|| ||
|-
|
Revenge in the House Of Usher ||
Neurosis ||
|-
|
The Grandfather, the Countess, and Scarlet the Naughty ||
Scarlet ||
|-
|
Diamonds of Kilimandjaro ||
Treasure of the White Goddess ||
|-
| rowspan=8 | 1984
|
The Shadow of Judoka vs. Dr. Wong|| ||
|-
|
In Search of the Golden Dragon|| ||
|-
|
How Much Does a Spy Cost?|| ||
|-
|
Dirty Game in Casablanca|| ||
|-
|
White Bay|| ||
|-
|
Voices of Death|| ||
|-
|
Golden Temple Amazons|| ||
|-
|
A Cock for Three|| ||
|-
| rowspan=7 | 1985
|
The Last of the Filipinas|| ||
|-
|
Bangkok: Appointment with Death|| ||
|-
|
Travel to Bangkok, Coffin Included|| ||
|-
|
The White Slave|| ||
|-
|
Lulu's Talking Butthole|| ||
|-
|
Lulu's Pacifier|| ||
|-
|
The Game Walks Among Whistles|| ||
|-
| rowspan=8 | 1986
|
Slaves of Crime|| ||
|-
|
The Girl with the Red Lips|| ||
|-
|
The Suckers ||
Las Chuponas ||
|-
|
For Babies, Warm Milk|| ||
|-
|
The Watcher and the Exhibitionist|| ||
|-
|
Bragueta Story ||||unfinished
|-
|
AIDS, the 20th Century Plague ||||unfinished
|-
|
Tribulations of a Cross-eyed Buddha ||||unfinished
|-
| rowspan=3 | 1987
|
Phollastia|| ||
|-
|
Falo Crest|| ||
|-
|
Dark Mission: Operation Cocaine ||
Flowers of Evil ||
|-
| 1988
|
Faceless||
Predators of the Night||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 1989
|
Esmeralda Bay|| ||
|-
|
The Fall of Eagles ||
War Song ||
|-
| 1990
|
Downtown Heat: Ciudad Baja ||
Viper's Point ||
|-
| 1992
|
Don Quijote|| ||
|-
| 1994
|
Jungle of Fear ||||unfinished
|-
| 1996
|
Killer Barbys|| ||
|-
| rowspan=3| 1998
|
Tender Flesh|| ||
|-
|
Lust for Frankenstein|| ||
|-
|
Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula in 8 Legs to Love You|| ||
|-
| rowspan=4 | 1999
|
Vampire Blues|| ||
|-
|
Red Silk|| ||
|-
|
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell|| ||
|-
|
Broken Dolls|| ||
|-
| rowspan=2 | 2000
|
Helter Skelter|| ||
|-
|
Blind Target|| ||
|-
| 2001
|
Vampire Junction|| ||
|-
| 2002
|
Jess Franco's Incubus|| ||
|-
| 2003
|
Killer Barbys vs. Dracula|| ||
|-
| rowspan=3 | 2005
|
Flowers of Perversion|| ||
|-
|
Flowers of Passion|| ||
|-
|
Snakewoman|| ||
|-
| 2008
|
A Bad Day at the Cemetery ||
Crypt of the Cursed Women ||
|-
| 2010
|
Paula-Paula: an Audiovisual Experience|| ||
|-
|}
Further reading
Jess Franco, Memorias del tío Jess (2004) (autobiography, in Spanish)
Stéphane du Mesnilot, Jess Franco - Énergies du fantasme (2004, in French)
Alain Petit, Manacoa Files (1994–1999, in French)
Lucas Balbo, Peter Blumenstock, Christian Kessler, Tim Lucas, Obsession - The Films of Jess Franco (1993)
Tim Lucas, How to Read a Franco Film, in Video Watchdog n. 1 (1990) Article
The book (1994) by Cathal Tohill and Pete Tombs dedicates a chapter to him.
Benedikt Eppenberger, Daniel Stapfer Maedchen, Machos und Moneten: Die unglaubliche Geschichte des Schweizer Kinounternehmers Erwin C. Dietrich. Mit einem Vorwort von Jess Franco. Verlag Scharfe Stiefel, Zurich, 2006, ISBN 3-033-00960-3
Robert Monell,
Il codice segreto di Jesus Franco, in
Nocturno Dossier n. 60, luglio 2007
External links
http://www.santoandfriends.com (Hispanic horror film index)
Category:1930 births
Category:Living people
Category:Spanish film directors
Category:Spanish film producers
Category:Spanish cinematographers
Category:Horror film directors
