Jesús Franco (1930–2013) was a Spanish filmmaker. At a young age, Franco had a passion for comics and music, and followed his love of music, specifically jazz. After his father found out about him working as a jazz musician, he enrolled him a religious university in 1949. He later left these studies and went to the Madrid Royal Conservatory and then travelling to Paris in 1951 to where he wrote articles on stories which would be applied in his later films.
In the early 1950s, he went to school at the Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematográficas (IIEC), later known as the He was suspended from this school in his second year, and later briefly enrolled in the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques in Paris. By the mid-1950s, he was struggling to become a filmmaker. He immediately became an assistant director for filmmakers such as Juan Antonio Bardem, Joaquín Luis Romero Marchent and León Klimovsky. Towards the late 1950s, he began directing his own short films. He directed his first feature film Tenemos 18 años in 1959 which was first released in 1961. In the early 1960s Franco had was described in the Spanish press as a stylish, talented, sometimes provocative filmmaker. As his films became more provactive with their elements of eroticism and violence, he would leave Spain in 1969 and only return in 1979 after living and working in both France and Switzerland. During this period, Franco would make films with popular actors such as Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski. A vast number of his films, were made with his muse Lina Romay, whom he first met in 1971 and married in 2008.
On returning to Spain, he found himself working with the lowest budgets of his career yet, leading him to make nearly 50 very low-budget features between 1980 and 1985. Between 1985 and 1990 his work ranged from hardcore pornography to more traditional filmmaking with French film productions featuring actors like Christopher Lee and Mark Hamill. In the early 1990s, Franco's production work slowed down. Following the release of Killer Barbys (1996), he began on several projects again that were prominently shot-on-video projects.
In 2008, the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced it would award Franco the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Goya Award for "his extensive, rich and varied filmography, as well as his absolute dedication to the profession." On accepting it, Franco dedicated the award to Juan Antonio Bardem, his partner Lina Romay, and to the Paris Cinémathéque. Franco died in Málaga on 2 April 2013 at the age of 82. His final film Al Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies (2013), premiered in Barcelona just two weeks before his death.
Production credits Many of Jesús Franco's films were distributed with a consistent delay after their shooting often due to economic reasons as well systems related to Spanish rebate system.
The films are listed by their year of first release and the years when the film were being shot to assist in understanding the chronology of Franco's films. Films are listed by their most common English language title, whether it be home video or theatrical. When no English title is available, the title the film uses its original release from its predominant production country.
Feature films
Title Shooting Years Release Year Credited as Notes Director WriterMusic OtherDeath of a Cyclist19541955Assistant directorTenemos 18 años19591961 Labios rojos1960196119601960Vampiresas 1930 (volando hacia la fama)1960-19611961Credited with "additional dialogue"19611962Credited for writing the films songs1962Death Whistles the Blues19621964Credited for writing the films jazz music, songs and lyrics1962-19631963ProducerRififi in the City1963196419631964Dr. Orloff's Monster19641965Chimes at Midnight1964-19651966Second-unit directorEspionage in Lisbon1965196519651966Attack of the Robots19651966Golden Horn19661968Lucky el intrépido19661967Succubus19671968Franco has stated he edited the film.Two Undercover Angels19671969Kiss Me Monster1967196919671968 1968196999 Women19681969Marquis de Sade's Justine1968196919681969Venus in Furs19681969Eugenie… The Story of Her Journey into Perversion1969197019691970Nightmares Come at Night1969-19701973Count Dracula19691970Eugénie de Sade19701973Vampyros Lesbos19701971She Killed in Ecstasy1970197119701971X312 - Flight to Hell19701971 1971197219711972Jungfrauen-report19711972Sexy Darlings1971197219711973Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein19711972Daughter of Dracula19721972Credited for additional music197219731972-19731973197219731972197319721976Diary of a Nymphomaniac1972197319731978Uncredited as a producerHow to Seduce a Virgin19731974Countess Perverse1973-197419741973-197419741973197519731975Female Vampire1973-19741975Director of photography, editorNight of the Skull197319741973-19741975Tender and Perverse Emanuelle1973-19741978Kiss Me Killer1973-19741977Exorcism19741974Celestine, Maid at Your Service19741974Lorna the Exorcist19741974197419751974197519741975Julietta 691974-19751976Director of photographyMidnight Party19751976Director of photography, camera operator, lyrics writerShining Sex19751976Director of photography, camera operator, film editorRacket on Pleasure1975-19761976Footage Franco directed appears in the filmBarbed Wire Dolls19751976Director of photographyWomen Behind Bars19751977Director of photographyDowntown19751976Director of photography1975-19761977Director of photography, camera operator19751976Director of photography, camera operatorGirls of the Night Traffic19761976Weisse haut auf schwarzen schenkeln19761976In 80 betten um die welt19761977Jack the Ripper19761976Ilsa the Wicked Warden19761977Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun19761977Uncredited as the story authorBlue Rita19771977Sexy Sisters19771977Love Camp19771977Voodoo Passion19771977Uncredited screenwriterWicked Women19771978Women in Cellblock 919771978Cocktail spcéial19771978Director of photography, camera operatorElles font tout 19781979Director of photography, camera operatorJe brûle de partout 19781979Director of photography, camera operatorÓpalo de fuego (mercaderes del sexo) 1978-19791980Film editor, director of photography, camera operator1978-19791981Director of photography, camera operator1974, 19791981Director of photography, camera operatorSinfornia erótica 19791980Camera operator19791981 19801981Uncredited for music, camera operator and film editorAberraciones Sexuales de una Mujer Casada19801981Uncredited for musicEugénie historia de una perversión 19801981Uncredited camera operatorStrike Back 19801981Assistant directorDevil Hunter 19801980Uncredited camera operatorSadomania 19801981Film editorBloody Moon 19801981Uncredited 1st camera operatorCaptive Women 19811981Uncredited editor and 1st camera operatorPick-up Girls 19811981Uncredited editor and 1st camera operator19811982Uncredited camera operatorMacumba Sexual19811982Director of photography, uncredited for music, 1st camera operator, and editorZombie Lake198119811982Uncredited for music and camera operatorOasis of the Zombies1981-1982Camera operatorConfesiones íntimas de una exhibicionista19811983Director of photographyBotas negras, latigo de cuero19821982Uncredited for music, film editor and camera operator19821983Uncredited for music, film editor19821983Uncredited for music, camera operator, film editor19821983Uncredited camera operator, film editor19821983Uncredited camera operator, film editorMansion of the Living Dead19821983Uncredited director of photography, music, camera operator and film editor19821996Director of photography, camera operator. Uncredited for music, camera operator, film editingGemidos de placer19821983Uncredited camera operator and film editor1982Director of photography. Uncredited as producer and camera operatorFuria en el trópico 19821986Director of photography. Uncredited camera operator and film editorRevenge in the House of Usher 1982, 1984, 19881983Director of photography. Uncredited camera operatorDiamonds of Kilimandjaro 19821983Director of photography. Uncredited 1st camera operatorLilian (la virgen pervertida) 19821984Director of photography. Uncredited for music, 1st camera operator, film editorNight Has a Thousand Desires 19831983Director of photography. Uncredited for music, 1st camera operator, film editor1983-19841985Uncredited writer, director of photography, and film editor19831983Director of photography. Uncredited for music, camera operator and film editor19831985Uncredited for music, camera operator and film editorGolden Temple Amazons19831990Camino solitario19831983Uncredited producer and camera operator19831985Uncredited producer, film editor, and camera operatorSola ante el terror19831986Uncredited camera operatorSangre en mis zapatos19831986Uncredited writer, music, camera operator, and film editor19831984Uncredited writer, and camera operator19841984Uncredited film editor and camera operatorJuego sucio en Casablanca19841985Film editor. Uncredited film producer and camera operatorBahia blanca1984Uncredited producer, film editor, and camera operator19841997Director of photography. Uncredited co-producer, camera operator and film editorViaje a Bangkok, atatúd incluido19841987Uncredited co-producer, 1st camera operator and film editorBangkok, cita con la muerte19841992Uncredited camera operator and film editor1985Director of photography. Uncredited camera operator, film editor and co-producer19851985Director of photography. Uncredited film editor 19851985Director of photography. Uncredited film editorEntre pitos anda el juego19851985Director of photography. Uncredited film editor 19851986Director of photography, camera operator. Uncredited film editor 1982, 1984, 19851986Director of photography. Uncredited film editorPara las nenas... leche calentita19851986Director of photography. Uncredited film editorEsclavas del crimen1986Uncredited camera operator and film editorPhollastia19871987Director of photography, uncredited camera operator and film editorPhalo Crest19871988Uncredited camera operator and film editorDark Mission19871988Faceless1987-19881988Countdown to Esmeralda Bay19881988Co-editorFall of the Eagles1989Film editor, lyricistDowntown Heat19901995Producer. Screened on Canal+Killer Barbys19961996Tender Flesh19961996Executive producerMari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula in 8 Legs to Love You19982001Producer, uncredited director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Lust for Frankenstein19982001Producer. Released direct-to-video.Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell19982002Director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Vampire Blues19982002Director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Red Silk19992002Director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Broken Dolls19992004Director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Blind Target20002002Director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Helter Skelter20002004Director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Vampire Junction20012002Director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Incubus20022002Uncredited director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Killer Barbys vs. Dracula20022002Uncredited director of photography.Passion20022005Uncredited executive producer, director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Peversion20022005Uncredited director of photography. Released direct-to-video.Snakewoman20052005Uncredited director of photographyLa cripta de las mujeres malditas2007-20082008Producer, director of photography, film editorPaula-Paula20092011Camera operator, editing, special effectsAl Pereira vs. the Alligator Ladies20122012Producer, film editorRevenge of the Alligator Ladies2012-20132013Film editor
Short films
Title Shooting Year Release Year Credited as Notes Director WriterMusic OtherTeoría del alba19531953 While credited as a composer, the film is silent.19571959 Oro españal19571959 Sangre en la tribu19571958 19571958 19571961 19571961 Estampas guipuzcoanas n. 2 (Pío Baroja)19591960Documentary1982Director of photography1982Director of photography
Performance credits