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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jess_franco.jpg]]
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3Jesús Franco, also known as Jess Franco (12 May 1930 – 2 April 2013) was a Spanish director, writer, editor, actor and jazz musician famous for directed more than 200 films from 1957 to his death on 2013. His films are popular for mixing spy genre with sexploitation and horror, and the Vatican once named Jess Franco and Creator/LuisBunuel as the most dangerous filmmakers in the world.
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5Franco was a Surrealist No Budget ''wunderkind'' living during the Nationalist rule of Spain by [[UsefulNotes/FranciscoFranco Generalissimo]] Franco. This led him to make heavily censored government propaganda films early in his career for commercial gain. But he soon grew critical and unfavorable toward Franco's regime and so he made films across Europe helping to popularize such diverse Exploitation genres. His films also became popular in arthouses, porn theaters, ghetto Grindhouse, drive-in's and eventually Mom & Pop home video stores. As a premiere cult director, he has a hardcore fanbase of cinephiles who suspect he has big admirers in Hollywood style directors of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Franco started his independent career as Assistant/2nd Unit Director for Creator/OrsonWelles.
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7!!Works by Jess Franco with pages on TV Tropes include:
8* ''Film/TheAwfulDrOrloff''
9* ''Film/BloodyMoon''
10* ''Film/TheCastleOfFuManchu''
11* ''Film/CountDracula1970''
12* ''Film/TheEroticRitesOfFrankenstein''
13* ''Film/{{Faceless}}''
14* ''Film/JackTheRipper1976''
15* ''Film/KarateAMuerteEnTorremolinos'' (only as an actor)
16* ''Film/VenusInFursFranco''
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18!!Tropes applying to Franco and his films:
19* AuthorAppeal: Eroticism, jazz music, mad scientists, and mind control frequently factor into his films.
20* BannedInChina: Many of his films were denied exhibition licenses in Spain for flaunting the Francoist regime censorship laws. Several also wound up the UK's VideoNasties list.
21* MoneyDearBoy: Openly admitted to hating most of his films, having just made them to earn a living.
22* ProductionPosse: Often cast his muses/real-life partners Creator/SoledadMiranda and Lina Romay, and he co-directed several with the latter. Other actors he frequently worked with were Howard Vernon, Jack Taylor, Antonio Mayans, Paul Muller, Creator/HerbertLom, Fred Williams, Creator/KlausKinski, Creator/ChristopherLee, Dennis Price, William Berger, and Maria Rohm. Many of his film were scored by Daniel White.
23* RealitySubtext: The frequency of corrupt authority figures and mind control in his film reflect his real-life conflicts with the Francoist regime and the Catholic Church. Most of his films had to be produced outside of Spain, since he was eventually blacklisted.

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