Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon

Blond, blue-eyed, All-American Jack Wrangler (née Stillman) was one of the top porn stars of the 1970s. Like John Holmes (the model for Mark Wahlberg's character in Boogie Nights), Wrangler wasn't much of an actor, but he gave the people what they wanted: beefcake. Unlike Holmes, Wrangler specialized in gay porn. As a willing participant in Jeffrey Schwarz's perceptive documentary, Wrangler doesn't seek to exploit—or condemn—his past, but rather to prove that there's more to Jack Wrangler than meets the eye. A self-effacing raconteur, Wrangler was born to wealth and privilege (his father produced Bonanza), beginning life as an inauspicious runt, but growing up hobnobbing with Tinseltown royalty before developing silver-screen ambitions of his own. Wrangler also found himself attracted to other men. Although his enthusiasm trumped his talent, Wrangler discovered his niche when he segued from dinner theater and bit parts to exotic dancing and the adult film industry, with his improbable biography kicking into truly high gear when he marries Margaret Whiting, a singer 20 years his senior. Wrangler isn't just a story about one man's life in and out of the porn business; it's also about popular conceptions of masculinity since the 1950s. Throughout, filmmaker Schwarz (Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story) intercuts archival stills and clips (some incredibly rare), as well as comments from a wide range of interviewees, including gossip columnist Michael Musto, publisher Al Goldstein, composer Marc Shaiman, and author Bruce Vilanch. Frank words and images of full-frontal nudity aside, the unrated Wrangler is not sexually explicit, emphasizing character and context over shock value. DVD extras include a detail-rich commentary track with Schwarz and key crew members, interview outtakes, and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)