Lina Romay
FILMS OF NOTE –
- The Barebreasted Countess
- Jack the Ripper
- Ilsa: The Wicked Warden
ABOUT LINA ROMAY
Lina Romay is the quintessential B-movie Queen. Lifelong domestic partner and muse of director Jesus Franco, Lina Romay had a lengthy career in films, all be it in the bottom of the barrel fare.
Fate altered Lina Romay’s career before it really ever began. Romay’s career was just dawning in the early 1970s. At that time, Franco had his muse. Her was Soledad Miranda but a tragic car crash in Portugal in 1971 would end that collaboration prematurely.
Franco would cast Romay in a long time cult favorite The Bare Breasted Countess. With Romay as his lead actress, a whole new field was open for Franco. His new muse was not the least shy and was willing to take part in the hardcore inserts that had begun to be placed into, at the time soft-core sex films.
This was something that Miranda steadfastly declined to do. With a compliant Romay in tow, Franco would shoot a couple different versions of The Bare Breasted Countess, both the very nubile 20-year-old Romay would take part in.
Thus, the pattern for future films of Lina Romay and Jes Franco was set. Getting very little financing for their films anywhere they went, the couple bounded around Europe making films wherever and whenever they could.
From the beginning, Franco would continue making and directing adult films. Romay would continue appearing and performing sexually in his films. Whether either was embarrassed about doing those movies, they never let on. Still, the two would continue making x-rated films through the early 1990s.
By the 1990’s Franco and Romay would be getting older. Romay would appear less and less in Franco’s films, which had become increasingly incoherent – as well poor in quality.
Whatever Romay/Franco’s work deserves in merit, they left an indelible story to tell. After Romay died unexpectedly in 2012, Franco quit life and died in in early 2013.
