Johnny Wadd (1971) Review

Unofficial Poster for the 1971 Release of Johnny Wadd (1971)

So here we go, back to the 1970s. I got my grubby hands on a VCA VHS tape copy of “Johnny Wadd” from 1971. This movie is awful on VHS because it has mono sound, and it has a lot of grainy elements. But that’s a good thing for this site, because this movie was first premiered in theaters. For those few people that remember what porno movie theaters were like, such as the Pussy Cat Theater, than you know what it looks like to see a full picture with grain and pops. This is filmed on full scale cameras, not video cameras, and there’s a lot of technique to the non-sexual components. In fact, you would swear that this was a normal 1970s production, albeit somewhat low budget, but still. The editing, the acting, the movement of the camera, the pops, and more look like a real movie, not a porno. “Johnny Wadd” was originally filmed in 1971 and it starts a young, clean shaven John Holmes. I love reviewing the golden era of porn because there is a lot of plot and cinema focus on it. This is not just a gonzo production, and it shows from the opening to the ending.

You know a movie is not gonzo because it takes time to set things into motion. Sex is there, but it’s not the main focus, a story drives the rest of the movie, and that’s what you get with “Johnny Wadd”. Holmes is not a great actor, mind you. However, he helps set this up nicely as you’d expect out of this series. Wadd is a detective, and he is on the case here, and of course he’s going to have sex with his client and those he finds. That being said, it takes some time to get to the sex in this movie, so if you’re impatient, you’re going to be fast forwarding things. If not, then strap in for a cool rid. I said Holmes was clean shaven, but during the sex scenes, the lighting on his face shows that he has trimmed facial hair.

The starting sex scene after about 10 minutes of set up features Andy Bellamy and John Holmes. Since this is the 1970s, you can expect hair everywhere. The musical score is a funky sound, with a 1970s element that is undeniable. Other than that, the sex here is somewhat impressive. I mean, impressive that Holmes goes all in at times here, and there are modern elements of sex that you only see in gonzo and new videos, not the 1970s. I was definitely impressed by this one, and Bellamy has a “girl next door” look to her. Her brunette hair and looks really are something that makes this an interesting scene. However, as I’ve said in the past, Holmes seems to be concentrating a lot, and not really enjoying this, but rather just trying to stay hard. Bellamy moans a bit, but she too doesn’t have a lot of chemistry with Holmes, even though she does give him a mediocre blow job. As you may expect, there are no condoms here, just hair, and full sex. This scene sets you up for an experience into the golden era that is funny at times, and kind of sexy at other times. It’s more of a historical movie than a heated one, at least when looking at scene number one.

The next sequence is an interview with Wadd and Sandy Dempsey, which leads immediately to sex. This is a porno after all. I couldn’t help but notice Dempsey’s rib cage was showing, as she is a very thin woman, with skinny arms, and a natural look that is quite appealing. All natural folks, so if you don’t like hair, you’re going to dislike this movie, and this scene specifically, because there’s nothing shaved at all. Sandy is a good looking older woman, but Wadd’s performance here once again leaves something to be desired. Wadd doesn’t last too long, and while Dempsey seems to enjoy herself, this thing ends abruptly with Holmes just letting it all out. Demspey has a tattoo on her right thigh, which is a rarity for porno movies of the time.

As with all movies from the Wadd series, the movie goes into story mode. Wadd is again talking to another woman, this time trying to get to the bottom of the case, one that I don’t even remember, and I’m reviewing this movie. The credits say “Mature Blonde” is the actress in this scene, and her hairstyle screams 1950s era. Imagine the standard “stay at home” mom from the 1950s and you kind of get what her hair is like, and well you know what was going to go down here, more sex. This lady is a lot older than Holmes, like way older, and the camera stays far away from close ups here, and it’s most likely because the woman is in fact older. This is a very mature lady, and while this is mostly a masturbation scene, it’s just an odd mix here. If you like older women, like way older, than maybe this is a good one for ya, for me, it just seems odd. I don’t mean to be ageist, but it just seems out of place here. It’s just a masturbation scene, so it isn’t too complex.

We get another cleanser, this time Wadd chasing the bad guys on what appears to be Santa Monica beach. I am not sure where this movie was filmed, but I used to live in Santa Monica so this looks a lot like it. Wadd gets his man, and beats him up, in what is the most comical fight scene I’ve seen in a long time. I kid you not, this was just laughable. Holmes can’t fight, the actor with him can’t fight, and the camera stays far away from the action. Wadd gets nearly killed here, but a woman saves him, and he delivers a few fake punches, and that’s it. This is hilarious! Man, this gets a few extra points because it’s the worst fight scene I’ve ever watched in my life. Kudos to the film makers here though, I laughed.

Gerard Broulard is credited with the fighting and Patti Lee is credited with being the woman that saves Holmes from getting killed. Of course, that leads to a sex scene, but before Holmes gets in on the action, Broulard gets with Patti Lee first. This is a basic scene with your standard blow job, missionary, and doggy style. This is not that sexy, but the music is kind of entertaining. The bad set, bad lighting, and simplified sex is just odd. Gerard leaves his sunglasses on, so cool for him, but this is just kind of boring. These actors do not have a lot of chemistry together, and the sex is just, well, bland. It looks like Gerard even loses his erection at one point, and the camera edits out a few of the moments, and cuts the scene as there’s obvious control problems here. Eventually the camera zooms in and you get to see full close ups as per usual. This scene is laughable to me, but hey, it is serviceable for what it is.

At the end of the show Patti Lee blows Holmes for the ending, and that’s it. Johnny Wadd gets his woman, and man, I don’t know. I lost track of the story midway through that laughable fight scene. Lee seems more interested in Holmes here than she did with Broulard, so the passionate blow job ends the movie and allows you to go away satisfied, or somewhat interested in seeing more from Wadd’s series. Or maybe not, I don’t know.

I give “Johnny Wadd” a 3 out of 5.

This wasn’t that good. Wadd’s performance wasn’t great. The director was good, the lighting effects, and sequencing is good, but Holmes isn’t a great actor. It’s interesting to go back and see these movies because they are shot on film, and a lot of effort went into making them. It’s a far cry from the video days that porn became and has become. This is a cool history piece, but far from being a hot movie.

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Did you see “Johnny Wadd”? If so, drop me a line in the comments below.