We all love Paul Thomas Anderson's classic porn-infused film Boogie Nights. But did you know that it is loosely based on a true story? And that that true story ends in drugs, sex, and crime? It's a wild story and few people know about it, so let's talk about John Holmes and the real inspiration behind the film Boogie Nights.
First of all, Boogie Nights was Paul Thomas Anderson's debut film - and what a debut it was! It is a great film starring Mark Wahlberg as a rising porn star named Dirk Diggler in the 70s who is known for his amazing member.
Funnily, Anderson was always fascinated by this story. As a young boy in Los Angeles, he was curious about this wild crime case! In fact, when he was in high school in 1988, he made a thirty-minute mocukementary called The Dirk Diggler Story - a wild thing for a high schooler to make, but it became the basis for the film that we would all know and love to be Boogie Nights.
Mark Wahlberg's character was inspired by a porn actor named John Holmes who was nicknamed Johnny Wadd. He did indeed have a notable penis. He loved showing off his cock in porn! He did straight and gay porn and he was very proud of his work (and the member he was working with). He began working in the late 60s and he became a prolific pornstar.
He has been described as having a dick that's as big as the elbow down, according to porn historian (real job?!) Bill Marigold. Holmes himself said it was bigger than a payphone and smaller than a Cadillac. No wonder Dirk Diggler was packing so much heat.
John stumbled into porn but found that he was a natural. People loved his huge cock and his slightly realistic looks. He didn't look like a toned and tanned pornstar. He looked like the guy next door who would shock you with his giant cock. He kept his porn work a secret from his wife for several years, but she would later find out and the pair would stay together and essentially live as friends and roommates. That all began to change when Holmes discovered hard drugs. That would lead to his downfall.
He initially avoided legal trouble by becoming a police informant. Remember, this was the 60s and 70s when porn was still considered to be smut and it was illegal in a lot of places.
He was freebasing cocaine and hanging out with his drug dealers who soon saw Holmes as a guy that they might be able to use. He hung out with a crew known as The Wonderland Gang because they lived in a trap house on Wonderland Avenue. Holmes was first welcomed as a cool guy with an interesting party trick (whipping out his huge penis), but he started overusing his share of the drugs. That wasn't cool.
In order to continue being in their favor, he got involved in real crime. He would sell drugs for the gang and he wound up becoming involved in something known as The Wonderland Murders which were very vicious crimes thought to be ordered by drug dealer Eddie Nash. This was an armed robbery that turned into violent murders.
After his involvement in this bloody crime, his life hit rock bottom. Holmes was implicated for all of the murders, but he was later acquitted. Fun fact: this was the first time videotape evidence was introduced as evidence and you can watch John's many pornos as evidence that he really was working with quite the weapon in his pants.
When he was freed, he actually resumed his porn work. Sadly, it did not last long. Holmes passed away in 1988. He was one of the few pornstars of his era who tested positive for HIV and was open about his diagnosis.
While Boogie Nights left a lot out in regard to the John Holmes story, it certainly is fascinating. In fact, I think it's worthy of another movie! Let's have this next movie feature more real cock.
