Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon (Documentary)

I am absolutely fascinated by this documentary. Blond, blue-eyed, All-American Jack Wrangler was one of the top porn stars of the 1970s. He wasn't much of an actor but he gave the people what they wanted: beefcake. He rose to the top of the gay, and then straight, adult film industry. In this documentary Jack is fascinating and quite entertaining while he reminisces in everything that he has done or about his life so far. Comprised mainly of interviews with Wrangler and various other icons and experts, the film manages not only to provide a history of the man himself, but also a rundown of the early days of the industry.

Jack was born into wealth to a family of a producer father and an actress mother but since his teenage years he knew he was attracted to men. He tried his hand at acting, but he soon realized he wasn't very good. Trying his hand at acting, Wrangler fell into the lucrative world of dinner theater, which gave him some recognition and Hollywood connections. One thing he knew was that he wanted to be sexually desirable, so he started to work on his body and get muscular. Using his looks and his sculpted body, Wrangler found his start at the peak of the sexual revolution, while appearances in gay cinema classics such as "Kansas City Trucking Company" sent his name into the stratosphere. We then hear from him and other interviewees on all the different films he did in the gay porn world, how he became immensely popular and a phenomenon in 70s. Wrangler becomes the face of the gay porn scene, challenging feminine stereotypes with his "everyday man" presentation and aggressive marketing angles. A regular, muscular 'straight looking guy who enjoys sex with another similar men. He talks about how he moved into his branded merchandise like toys, papers, lubes etc and doing personal appearances. He then moved on to doing straight porn. Unsure of it initially, he managed to do exceptionally well even in that world and rose to fame. The last act of the documentary is devoted to Wrangler's curious relationship with Margaret Whiting, the famous elder songstress who fell in love with the young star, ignoring his career and his pronounced sexual proclivities.

I have not watched a documentary with so much fascination in a long time that I can remember. This film, came out quite a few years back, lives up the title's promise, providing a rich comprehension of the man behind the legend. It is a straightforward documentary piecing together an overview of Wrangler's often potent life and his imprint on the glittery 70s world of pornography. How did he even adopt the name 'Wrangler' was quite fascinating. I think the masterstroke here is to have the man himself walk you through his life, with as much excitement and jest a duo regrets that makes this documentary special. The film shows us that Wrangler was a puzzling, intelligent human being who greatly contrasted the perception of the adult movie world, eventually reaching icon status as he conquered the gay porn scene and then, without batting an eye, the straight one as well. The way Wrangler describes his eventual ride into gay porn fame sounds so effortless and natural. Although Wrangler doubles down on his insistence that he identifies as a gay man, he muses that he could never maintain a relationship with another man for any considerable stretch of time, citing his competitive nature as the main culprit; and this is when the documentary starts to focus on his long relationship with Margaret Whiting. Their relationship was questioned by everyone, because of Wrangler's sexual orientation, the age difference and the suspicion that he was a gold-digger, but he and Whiting obviously cared deeply for one another. They defied the odds by staying together for over thirty years, married for the last fifteen.

As lovely as the film is for the most part, it's bittersweet seeing Wrangler discuss his hopes for the new phase of his life as a respected director of musicals, ballets, cabaret shows and other stage productions, given that he died only ten months after the documentary's premiere at the Newfest New York LGBT Film Festival. 62 was far too young an age for such a wonderful person to pass away, but it's still so heartwarming that this documentary was made with the man himself. 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.The end of this film feels like a roller coaster slowing to a halt, concluding a ride of amazing experiences and revelations, showcasing a man who, in his words, "wanted to take a bite out of life." He succeeded in glorious fashion. (7/10)