▁and ▁a ▁crime ▁drama ▁called ▁Red ▁Li ps . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Franco ▁took ▁Mar ius ▁Les o eur ▁and ▁Ser gio ▁New man , ▁two ▁producer ▁friends , ▁to ▁a ▁cinema ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁newly ▁released ▁Ham mer ▁horror ▁film ▁The ▁Br ides ▁of ▁D rac ula ▁and ▁the ▁three ▁men ▁decided ▁to ▁get ▁into ▁the ▁horror ▁film ▁business . ▁His ▁career ▁took ▁off ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁with ▁The ▁Aw ful ▁Dr . ▁Or lo ff ▁( a . k . a . ▁G rit os ▁en ▁la ▁no che ), ▁which ▁received ▁wide ▁distribution ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁UK . ▁Franco ▁wrote ▁and ▁directed ▁Or lo ff , ▁and ▁even ▁supplied ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁music ▁for ▁the ▁film . ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁he ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁direct ▁two ▁other ▁horror ▁films , ▁then ▁proceeded ▁to ▁turn ▁out ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁James ▁Bond - like ▁sp y ▁thr ill ers ▁and ▁soft core ▁sex ▁films ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁Mar quis ▁de ▁S ade ▁( which ▁remained ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁major ▁influ ences ▁throughout ▁his ▁career ). ▁ ▁Although ▁he ▁had ▁some ▁American ▁box ▁office ▁success ▁with ▁N ec ron om icon ▁( 1 9 6 7 ), ▁ 9 9 ▁Women ▁( 1 9 6 8 ) ▁and ▁two ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁Christopher ▁Lee ▁films ▁– ▁The ▁Blo ody ▁Judge ▁and ▁Count ▁D rac ula ▁– ▁he ▁never ▁achieved ▁wide