JESS FRANCO AND THE BALCAZARS

The Men From Balcazar....


My Black Friday shopping included a pick-up of THE MAN FROM OKLAHOMA DVD from Dorado Films, who have released a number of very obscure, interesting Eurowestern/Eurospy titles. They deserve to be supported. I can't resist obscure Eurowesterns so I quickly snapped it up.

This little know Spanish-German-Italian hybrid was co-directed by Jaime Jesus Balcazar, who was one of the notorious Balcazar dynasty who built a studio near Barcelona, Spain where a number of Jess Franco films were shot. Below are some interesting comments and information on those Franco films and the studio by our Spanish friend, Nzoog. He is citing the Spanish language book BALCAZAR PRODUCCIONES CINEMATOGRAFICAS: Mas alla de Espulgas City, about the Balcazar empire started by the brothers Jaime Jesus and Alfonso. The text suggests that Jess Franco may have shot more films at the studio than any other single director.


More information is available on the JESS FRANCO AND BALCAZAR thread now featured on www.cinemadrome.yuku.com

{"The Castle of Fu Manchu is included in the list of Balcázar films proper, appearing as a coproduction between Spain, Liechtenstein, West Germany and Italy: "No credit is given to the contribution of Balcázar in the Spanish version of 1971. It appears that the Italian version was not premiered in its day". The Spanish company cited is Tilma Film.

The list of Franco films shot at Balcázar is the following (whenever known, the month in which the shooting at Balcázar took place is given):

Justine (June 1968)

Venus in Furs (September 1968)

Count Dracula (March 1969)

Devil's Island Lovers(1971)

The Curse of Frankenstein(June 1973)"}

I'm hoping for an English language edition of this information rich publication at some point in the future.

Thanks to Nzoog.