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Lina Romay

Lina Romay

Actor and director, also editor · Died February 15, 2012, aged 57 · Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain

Romay was born in Barcelona in 1954. Following graduation from high school, she studied the arts, married actor/photographer Ramon Ardid/ Raymond Hardy (they later divorced in 1978), and began acting in stage productions. She began appearing in Jesús Franco's films from the time that they met in 1972. She appeared in more than a hundred feature films, most of them directed by Franco. Among the better known of her horror films are The Bare Breasted Countess (a.k.a. Female Vampire) (1973), Barbed Wire Dolls (1975) and Jack the Ripper (1976). She took the name Lina Romay from the actress and jazz artist from the 1940s. Although Romay was listed in the credits of several of Franco's films as a co-director, actor Antonio Mayans stated in a recent interview that Franco used to credit her in that manner for business reasons, although she never actually co-directed any of their films together. She did however contribute occasional story ideas and assist in the editing of some films and trailers. Lina Romay and Jesús Franco lived as a couple for close to four decades, but only officially married on April 25, 2008. She died from cancer at the age of 57 on 15 February 2012, in Málaga, Spain. Franco died soon after in 2013.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 25, 1954
Died
February 15, 2012 (aged 57)
From
Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
Works as
Actor and director, also editor
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 134 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

What are Lina Romay's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 23rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
27%
Morality
26%
Power
19%
Survival
15%
Bonds
9%
Society
3%
Ideas
2%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 13 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 4 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 4 · Intense 5

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 7
Trickster
2 of 7
Hero
1 of 7
Shadow
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Dread
5
Absurd
4
Contemplative
3
Thrilling
3
Other
9

How their films linger

Unsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous8

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Lina Romay's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lina Romay's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

134 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Falks Frauen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as (archive footage)

  • La cripta de las condenadas: Parte II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Art Direction · Assistant Director · Makeup Artist · Production Manager

  • La cripta de las condenadas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Art Direction · Assistant Director · Production Manager

  • Paula-Paula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Makeup Artist · Wardrobe Supervisor · as Alma Pereira

  • Take-Away Spirit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Production Manager · Second Unit · Set Decoration

  • Triple X Selects: The Best of Lezsploitation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as (archive footage)

  • Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Mrs. Steele

  • Snakewoman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Writer · as Dr. Van Helsing

  • Jess Franco's Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Jess Franco's Perversion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Mme Villeblanche

  • See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Actor

  • Death Karate in Torremolinos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Red Venice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Killer Barbys vs. Dracula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Screenplay · as Irina von Karstein

  • Incubus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Rosa Harker

  • Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Camera Operator · as Herself

  • Vampire Junction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · as Mados

  • Blind Target (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Assistant Director · as Tora

  • Helter Skelter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Broken Dolls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Assistant Director · as Tona

  • Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Nelly Smith / Tsai Ming

  • Red Silk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Gina

  • Vampire Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Marga

  • Lust for Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Editor · as Moira Frankenstein

  • Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Mari Cookie / Tarantula

  • Tender Flesh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Mrs. Radeck

  • Vampire Killer Barbys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Editor

  • Downtown Heat(1991)

    Editor · as Angela

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Jungle of Fear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Don Quixote(1992)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Esmeralda Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Editor · as Hotelier

  • Faceless(1988)

    as Mme Orloff

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Slave of Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Tsai Chin

  • Falo Crest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Editor · as Melissa

  • Trapped Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Marga

  • Thong Girls(1987)

    Director · as Lola Clavijo

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Phollastía (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · as Barbara

  • Golden Temple Amazons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Cameo

  • Para las nenas, leche calentita (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · as Chelo Cucufate

  • Alone Against Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Melissa

  • Entre pitos anda el juego (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · as Candy

  • The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Writer · as The Exhibitionist

  • Lulu's Talking Ass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Lulú

  • Las chuponas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Lulu Laverne

  • Fury in the Tropics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Marga Lopez

  • Girl with the Red Lips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Terry Morgan

  • Sida, la peste del siglo XX (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Editor · Actor

  • The Last from Philippines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Cecilia Muro

  • Un pito para tres (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director · Actor

  • Dirty Game in Casablanca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Assistant Director · as Woman Asking for Autograph

  • Trip to Bangkok, Coffin Included (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Assistant Director · Editor

  • Bangkok, City of the Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Aminia

  • Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Maggie

  • White Jungle Slave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Assistant Director · as Karate Student

  • The Sexual Story of O(1984)

    Editor

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • A Crack for Two (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director · Screenplay · as Agent 69

  • Lilian, the Perverted Virgin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Irina

  • How Much Does a Spy Make? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Ana

  • Night Has a Thousand Desires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Irina

  • Lonely Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Assistant Director · as Eva / Adriana

  • Bahia Blanca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Assistant Director · Assistant Editor · as María

  • Macumba Sexual (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Assistant Director · as Alice Brooks

  • The Hotel of Love Affairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Assistant Director · Assistant Editor · as Eva Bombón

  • Cries of Pleasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Editor · as Julia

  • The House of Lost Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Desdémona

  • Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director · Assistant Editor · as Candy

  • Diamonds of Kilimandjaro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Hermine

  • Cecilia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Cabaret Owner/Performer

  • Revenge in the House of Usher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Helen

  • The Night Of Open Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Moira

  • Black Boots, Leather Whip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Lina

  • Blood on My Shoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Paquita la Fina

  • The Blues of Pop Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Genara Johnny Walker 'Butterfly'

  • Mansion of the Living Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Candy

  • My Pussy is the Best (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Elisa

  • Sex Apocalypse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Ruth

  • El huésped de la niebla (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Express Train (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Editor

  • The Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Assistant Director · Editor

  • Pick-Up Girls(1981)

    as Suzy

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • El fontanero, su mujer... y otras cosas de meter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Julia

  • Jailhouse Wardress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Maria

  • The Story of Linda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Assistant Director

  • Sexual Perversions of a Married Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as George's Mother

  • The Girls of the Copacabana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Lia

  • Bloody Moon(1981)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Sadomania (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Assistant Director · Assistant Editor

  • Sex Is Crazy(1981)

    as Mrs. Foncesca

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Devil Hunter(1980)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • White Cannibal Queen(1980)

    as Ana

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Wicked Memoirs of Eugenie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Sultana

  • Two Female Spies with Flowered Panties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Cecile

  • Erotic Symphony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Martine de Bressac

  • What a Honeymoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Yolanda

  • Justine and the Whip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Justine

  • The Sadist of Notre Dame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Anne

  • They Do Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Nini

  • Love Letters of a Nun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as María

  • Cocktail spécial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Martine

  • Women Without Innocence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Margarita Martin

  • Slaves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Madame Arminda

  • Kiss Me Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Moira Ray

  • Ilsa, the Wicked Warden(1977)

    as Juana

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Doriana Grey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Doriana Gray/Doriana's Twin Sister

  • Jack the Ripper(1976)

    as Marika Stevenson

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Shining Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Cynthia

  • Downtown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Cynthia

  • The Troublemakers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Pina

  • Barbed Wire Dolls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Maria da Guerra

  • Midnight Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Sylvia

  • The Erotic Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Actor

  • Countess Perverse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Silvia Aguado

  • Rolls-Royce Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Rolls-Royce Baby

  • Exorcism (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Anne

  • The Ticklish Ones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Loulou

  • The Hot Nights of Linda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Olivia Steiner

  • Sexy Erotic Job (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Loulou Laverne

  • Female Vampire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Countess Irina Karlstein

  • Sexorcismes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Actor

  • Women Behind Bars(1975)

    as Shirley Fields

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Lorna . . . the Exorcist(1974)

    as Linda Mariel

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Celestine, Maid at Your Service(1974)

    as Célestine

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Night of the Skull(1974)

    as Rita Derian

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • How to Seduce a Virgin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Adèle

  • The Greedy Ones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Alba / Bianca

  • The Lustful Amazons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Yuka

  • Lovers of Devil's Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Actor

  • The Other Side of the Mirror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Marie Madeleine Whitman (French version only)

  • The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Esmeralda

  • Tender and Perverse Emmanuelle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Greta Douglas

  • The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Sweet Davey Brown's Girlfriend

  • El misterio del castillo rojo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Fly Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 134 titles, 132 of them dated from 1973 to 2014; peak year 1975.

Highest rated

Don Quixote (1992)

Midcredits 49th

Most popular right now

White Cannibal Queen (1980)

Film career

19732014

Peak 1975 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1973Screen debut· The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
  • 1974First top-billed film· Celestine
  • 1976Career best· Barbed Wire Dolls

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting119 of 134: 94 only acting, 25 with another role · typical Midcredits score14thDirecting14 of 134: 0 only directing, 14 with another roleWriting5 of 134: 0 only writing, 5 with another roleEditing11 of 134: 3 only editing, 8 with another roleOther crew20 of 134: 8 only other crew, 12 with another role

134 titles, 29 with more than one role — acting and other crew overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1970s37 · acting1980s64 · 55 acting · 27 crew1990s12 · 10 acting · 4 crew2000s15 · 13 acting · 6 crew2010s4 · 2 acting · 3 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 42% of 26 roles
737883

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Lina Romay's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 14th percentile, the median of all 16; across their 13 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 19th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

19thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Approval · how many liked their films

14thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Reach · how many have seen their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 13

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th12

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 16 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Panned1
  • Mixed15

Most divisive · actor

Pick-Up Girls (1981)

80th percentile spread · 78% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · editor

Don Quixote (1992)

Midcredits 49th · 44% liked

Reviewers score the acting 49/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 35. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Lina Romay's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles49–74 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Lina Romay work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lina Romay's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jesús Franco shares the most, 13.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles