[3][better source needed] He played minor parts in several films from the late 1940s to early 1970s, often without credit, including Blondie's Reward (1948), Scarlet Angel (1952), The Girl in White (1952), She Couldn't Say No (1954), This Island Earth (1955), Twilight for the Gods (1958), Motorpsycho (1965) and P.J.

During March 1958, Francis portrayed Matthew Harrison Brady opposite Sidney Blackmer as Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind at the Sombrero Playhouse in Phoenix, Arizona.

[4] In 1959, Francis formed a partnership with Anthony "Tony" Cardoza, a welder by trade, and together they created three films: The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961), The Skydivers (1963) and Night Train to Mundo Fine, aka Red Zone Cuba (1966).

Though arteriosclerosis is listed as the official cause of death, Cardoza says Francis' body was found in the back of a station wagon at the Vine Street Ranch Market with "a plastic bag over his head and a tube going into his mouth or around his throat".

After fading into obscurity for decades, Francis' three directed films gained cult status after being featured on the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000[8][9] in the mid-1990s,[10] where they became infamous for their poor production values, repetitive plot devices, meandering and incomprehensible storylines, and stilted acting.