He was born José Franco Pumarega on April 25th 1908 in Madrid. He had a sister, Maruja, with whom he shared an apartment in Madrid.[1]
After completing high school, he began his degree in medicine, which he abandoned in the first year to enrol in the Conservatory of Music and Declamation. At this institution he studied music theory, harmony and composition, and shortly after he completed his theatrical studies in the Companies of Margarita Xirgu and Enrique Borrás.
He reportedly made his film debut in 1936 and he soon began appearing regularly in small character roles. From 1967 until his death he also became very active in television productions. José also worked on the radio and wrote poems and music.
José died in Madrid on January 30th 1980, at the age of 71.
- ¡Gaucho! .... (credited, but not found)
- Primer amor .... Hipolito (uncredited)
1943 - Café de París .... Monsieur Dupont (credited)
1944 - El clavo .... Hotel manager (credited)
- La torre de los siete jorobados .... Ghost of Napoleon (uncredited)
- Tarjeta de visita .... Friend who invites Fernandez to dinner (credited)
1945 - El destino se disculpa .... Notary (uncredited)
- El fantasma y doña Juanita .... Serafin Gonzalez (uncredited)
1946 - El crimen de la calle de Bordadores .... Don Matias (credited)
- La pródiga .... Gordito (credited)
- Un drama nuevo .... Lord (credited)
1947 - Las inquietudes de Shanti Andía .... Zapiain (credited)
- María Fernanda, la Jerezana .... Don Humberto Alvarez Valdes (credited)
- Reina santa .... Froilas (credited)
1948 - Mare nostrum .... Hotel Manager (credited)
- Pobre mi madre querida .... (credited, but not found)
1949 - ¡Olé torero! .... Don Andres (credited)
- Aventuras de Juan Lucas .... (credited, but not found)
- Siempre vuelven de madrugada .... Blackmailer (credited)
1950 - El señor Esteve .... Martinete (credit unknown)
- El último caballo .... Garage manager (credited)
1953 - Aeropuerto .... Señor Comas (credited)
- Bienvenido, Mister Marshall! .... Head of the delegation (credited)
- Esa pareja feliz .... Tenor (credited)
1954 - El pescador de coplas .... Theatre director (credited)
1956 - El piyayo .... Police Commissioner (credited)
- Embajadores en el Infierno .... Lacharni (credited)
- Esa voz es una mina .... Don Próspero (credited)
- La vida en un bloc .... Germán (credited)
- Todos somos necesarios .... (credited, but not found)
1959 - Las de Cain .... Lola's admirer (uncredited)
1961 - Cariño mio .... Pietro (credited)
- Placido .... Matías Helguera (credited)
1962 - La reina del Chantecler .... Don Pagaré (credited)
- La viudita naviera .... Carmelo Pimentel (credited)
- Mentirosa .... Doctor (credited)
- Teresa de Jesús .... Father Báñez (credited)
- Tú y yo somos tres .... Uncle Raimundo Cisneros (credited)
1963 - El sol en el espejo .... Jeweller (credited)
- La batalla del domingo .... Don Paco (credited)
- Nunca pasa nada .... Don Jerónimo (credited)
1964 - Como dos gotas de agua .... Pepe (credited)
- El espontáneo .... Man from la calle de la Victoria (credited)
- El pecador y la bruja .... Butcher (credited)
- El salario del crimen .... Owner of Tablao Flamenco (credited)
1965 - La familia y... uno más .... Don Ramón (credited)
1966 - El arte de no casarse .... Priest (credited)
- Las viudas .... Don Juan (credited)
1967 - ¿Es usted el asesino? (TV series) Ep. 6 .... Hotelier (credited)
- Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino (TV movie) .... Melitón (credited)
- El hueso .... Mayor (credited)
- El padre Manolo .... Dionisio Bernáldez (credited)
- Historias para no dormir (TV series) Ep.: "El cuervo" .... Publisher (credited)
- Historias para no dormir (TV series) Ep.: "La pesadilla" .... Tavern keeper (credited)
- La Reina Juana (TV movie) .... Priest (credited)
- Las 12 caras de Juan (TV series) Ep.: "Virgo" .... Don Egilio (credited)
- Ricardo III (TV movie) .... Lord Corregidor (credit unknown)
- Una historia de amor .... Editor (credited)
1968 - Dame un poco de amooor...! .... Nightclub customer (uncredited)
- El gran teatro del mundo (TV movie) .... The Labrador (credited)
- El que recibe las bofetadas (TV movie) .... The Director (credited)
- Historias para no dormir (TV series) Ep.: "El trasplante" .... Newly rich (credited)
1969 - Bohemios .... Señor Girard (credited)
- David Copperfield (TV series) Ep. 4 .... Señor Omer (credit unknown)
- El abuelo (TV movie) .... Don Carmelo (credited)
- Gigantes y cabezudos (TV movie) .... Market worker (credited)
- La señora Dowey luce sus medallas (TV movie) .... Sr. William (credited)
1970 - Con ella llegó el amor .... Méndez (credited)
- El cronicón .... Atanasio (credited)
- El huésped del sevillano .... Innkeeper (credited)
- Pierna creciente, falda menguante .... Chemistry teacher (credited)
- Retablo de Santa Teresa (TV movie) .... Preacher (credited)
1971 - Ensayo general para un siglo de oro (TV mini-series) Eps. 2, 7 .... Obispo / Judge (credited)
- Los días de Cabirio .... Tía (credited)
1972 - El caserío .... Don Leoncio (credited)
- La casa sin fronteras .... Marbler (credited)
- La duda .... Priest (credited)
- La garbanza negra, que en paz descanse .... Filomeno (credited)
- La semana del asesino .... Shopkeeper (credited)
- Nada menos que todo un hombre .... Priest (credited)
- Plinio (TV series) 2 episodes .... role unknown (credited)
1973 - Corazón solitario .... Practitioner (credited)
- Grandes esperanzas (TV mini-series) Eps. 2, 3, 4, 12 .... Pumblechook (credited)
- No es bueno que el hombre esté solo .... Dario (credited)
1974 - Carlo Monte en Montecarlo (TV movie) .... Board member (credited)
- Cuando los niños vienen de Marsella .... Priest (credited)
- Le soleil se lève à l'est (TV series) Ep. 6 .... Priest (credited)
- Los libros (TV series) Ep.: "Cuentos de la Alhambra" .... Mayor (credited)
- Los libros (TV series) Ep.: "Fray Gerundio de Campazas" .... Coepiscopo (credited)
- Los libros (TV series) Ep.: "La montaña mágica" .... Behrens (credited)
- Los pajaritos (Short TV film) .... Company director (credited as "Pepe Franco")
- Los tres etcéteras de Don Simón (TV movie) .... Mayor (credited)
- Si yo fuera rico (TV series) Ep.: "Si yo fuera actor" .... role unknown (credited)
- Un curita cañón .... Bishop (credited)
1975 - Este señor de negro (TV series) Ep.: "Los oportunos trámites" .... Sr. Ministro (credited)
- La casa del viento (TV movie) .... Priest (credited)
- La pródiga (TV mini-series) Eps. 6, 7, 8 .... role unknown (credited)
- No quiero perder la honra .... Baker (credited)
- Pim, pam, pum... ¡fuego! .... Álvarez (credited)
- Symposium para la paz (TV movie) .... German delegate (credited)
1976 - El segundo poder .... Brother Cipriano (credited)
- Israfel (TV movie) .... Tavern keeper (credited as "Pepe Franco")
- La Corea .... Simón (credited)
- La fiesta .... Don Felix (credited)
- Las aventuras del hada Rebeca (TV series) 4 episodes .... Various roles (credited)
- Pequeñeces (TV series) Eps. 3, 4, 17, 19 .... Martínez (credited)
- Señoritas de uniforme .... role unknown (credited)
1977 - Climax .... Villanueva (credited)
- El malvado Carabel (TV movie) .... Mugger's victim (credited as "Pepe Franco")
- El pájaro solitario (TV movie) .... Prior (credited)
- La Coquito .... (credited, but not found)
- Los claros motivos del deseo .... Examiner (credited)
1978 - Arriba Hazaña .... Nurse Brother (credited)
- El sacerdote .... Father Alfonso (credited)
- Un hombre llamado Flor de Otoño .... Owner of Bataclán (credited)
1979 - El enfermo imaginario (TV movie) .... Dr. Purgón (credited)
- Historia de 'S' .... Bishop (credited)
- Mi adúltero esposo .... Man arguing with his wife in the hotel lobby (credited)
- Polvos mágicos .... Godfather (credited)
1980 - ...Y al tercer año, resucitó .... Card player (uncredited)
- Santos Vega (1936) IMDb
- Consultaré a Mister Brown (1946) IMDb
- 2 cuentos para 2 (1947) IMDb as Commissioner
- El traje de luces (1947) EdCE
- Mañana como hoy (1948) IMDb as Oscar
- Llegada de noche (1949) IMDb as Night manager
- Em-Nar, la ciudad de fuego (1952) IMDb
- Facultad de letras (1952) IMDb as Don Rafael
- Sobresaliente (1953) IMDb
- Brindis al cielo (1954) IMDb
- Piedras vivas (1956) IMDb as Bank manager
- Tremolina (1957) IMDb
- Familia provisional (1954) IMDb
- El castigo sin venganza (1967 TV movie) IMDb
- El patio (1967 TV movie) IMDb
- Fuenteovejuna (1967 TV movie) IMDb
- Aulularia (1968 TV movie) IMDb
- Con acento (1968 TV series) Ep.: "La Mancha". IMDb as Sancho Panza
- La pequeña comedia (1968 TV series) Ep.: "Velada sentimenta". IMDb
- El lindo Don Diego (1969 TV movie) IMDb
- Pequeño estudio (1969 TV series) Ep.: "El carnaval". IMDb
- Sublime decisión (1969 TV movie) IMDb
- Cinco peldaños (1970 TV movie) IMDb as Barrigudo
- Diana en negro (1970 TV series) Ep.: "Noche de aniversario". IMDb as Tattigan
- El rey sabio (1970 TV movie) IMDb as Arzobispo
- La comedia de las equivocaciones (1970 TV movie) IMDb
- La discreta enamorada (1970 TV movie) IMDb
- Pericles, príncipe de Tiro (1970 TV movie) IMDb
- Pequeño estudio (1970 TV series) Ep.: "Elisacodélico Davisespiritualidoso". IMDb
- Clemencia (1971 TV movie) IMDb
- Hora once (1971 TV series) Ep.: "El sueño de Makar". IMDb
- Sospecha (1971 TV series) Ep.: "Equivocación peligrosa". IMDb
- Teatro breve (1971 TV series) Ep.: "Camino de Nápoles". IMDb
- Visto para sentencia (1971 TV series) Ep.: "Don Martíny Don Fabián". IMDb
- El admirable Crichton (1972 TV movie) IMDb
- Hora once (1972 TV series) Ep.: 23.12.1972. IMDb
- Los Nickleby (1972 TV movie) IMDb
- Animales racionales (1973 TV series) 2 episodes. IMDb
- Compañera te doy (1973 TV series) Ep.: "Oh, el romanticismo". IMDb
- Ficciones (1973 TV series) 2 episodes. IMDb as Mister Higginbotham
- La feria de las vanidades (1973 TV mini series) IMDb
- Menos que nada (1973 TV movie) IMDb
- El secreto (1974 TV mini series) 4 episodes. IMDb
- La cometa naranja (1974 TV series) Ep.: "El maletín del diablo". IMDb
- Los pintores del Prado (1974 TV series) Ep.: "Ribera. Explorador en las tinieblas". IMDb as Tavern keeper
- El picaro (1975 TV series) Ep.: "De cómo la vanidad es mala compañía para andar por caminos y posadas". IMDb as Canon
- El último tango en Madrid (1975) IMDb
- La viudita naviera (1976 TV movie) IMDb as Mayor
- Atención... ¡secuestro! (1977 TV movie) IMDb
- Miss Giacomini (1977 TV movie) IMDb as Bishop
- Mujeres insólitas (1977 TV series) Ep.: "El ángel atosigador". IMDb as Commissioner Picard
- Mujeres insólitas (1977 TV series) Ep.: "La Sierpe del Nilo". IMDb as Eunuch
- La ilustre fregona (1978 TV movie) IMDb
- Jano (1979 TV movie) IMDb as Harper
- La fe (1947) EdCE. Not credited and not found
- Obsesión (1947) IMDb with no role. Not credited and not found after multiple searches.
1. Profile on Enciclopedia del Cine Español |