Jack Wrangler

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Jack Wrangler is the professional name of John Robert Stillman in his roles as both former gay and straight porn star and current theatrical producer and director. He was born June 11, 1946, in Los Angeles, the son of the Hollywood film and television producer Robert Stillman (Champion, Boots and Saddles, Second Chorus, Home of the Brave). His mother was a former dancer in Busby Berkeley musicals. His paternal grandfather made a fortune in the garment industry.

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[edit] Early career

At the age of nine, John Stillman starred with Eleanor Powell in the television series Faith of Our Children, a religious family show which ran for three years and won five Emmy awards. Following college, he had some early work on the stage and as a model and dancer, as well as bit parts on television shows like The Mod Squad and Medical Center. Finally, he appeared in a male strip show in the mid-70s under the name "Jack Wrangler." A career in gay pornographic films soon followed, and he rapidly became one of the first performers in gay porn to achieve star status and a cult following.

During his career as a pornographic star, Jack Wrangler appeared in over 85 films. He also continued performing in theater, including the play T-Shirts by Robert Patrick. Wrangler's resume lists a performance in Forever After, by Doric Wilson , although Doric points out he did not actually appear in this play. Wrangler also once claimed that Doric Wilson's play A Perfect Relationship was written with him in mind, to which Doric has replied, "I never even jacked off with him in mind." In the early 1980s, Jack Wrangler began appearing in straight porn films, most notably Devil in Miss Jones II and Debbie Does Dallas 2. Allegedly his first sexual encounter with a woman was on screen.

His autobiography, The Jack Wrangler Story, or What's a Nice Boy Like You Doing?, was released in 1984. [1]

[edit] Romantic relationship and later career

In 1976, Jack Wrangler met celebrated 1940s pop singer and film actress Margaret Whiting when she attended one of his one-man erotic shows in New York. As he later recalled, "I was with my manager when I looked over at Margaret, who was surrounded by five guys at a booth. 'There she was with the hair, the furs and the big gestures. I thought, 'Boy, now that's New York! That's glamour!' I had to meet her." A relationship developed. He was 33; she was 55. When Wrangler confided to Whiting that he was gay, her response was "only around the edges, dear."[citation needed] Wrangler and Whiting have been married since 1994.

Soon after becoming involved with Whiting, Wrangler retired from porn and devoted his time to his first love, musical theater. A fan of Johnny Mercer, he was one of the co-producers of the cabaret Dream, which featured songs by the composer and included Whiting in the cast. [2] Other performances he has written and produced include Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: the Jazz Concert; The Valentine Touch; The First Lady and Other Stories of Our Times; and Irina Abroad!.

In 1998, Wrangler and Whiting filed a multi-million dollar suit against the city of New York when she broke her hip after tripping over loose pavement. The media quickly pounced on the fact that their suit cited loss of sexual relations as one of the damages incurred from the accident. [3]

Wrangler and Whiting still remain visible in the New York theatrical scene and are highly active in supporting and promoting AIDS charities. But Jack Wrangler's main claim to fame remains his years as a gay porn star, not only because he set the stage for other masculine, rugged, and athletic performers that followed, but also because many gay men in the 70s and 80s cited Jack as an integral part of their coming out process, as his against-the-stereotypes onscreen persona helped to show them that a man can be gay and still be a man.

A feature documentary about the life of Jack Wrangler called "Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon" is being produced and directed by Jeffrey Schwarz of Automat Pictures.

[edit] Selected filmography

  • New York Construction Co. (1970)
  • Kansas City Trucking Co. (1976)
  • Wanted (1980)
  • The Devil in Miss Jones II (1982)
  • Navy Blue Hanky Left (1985)
  • Guess Who's Coming? (1990)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Wrangler, Jack; Johnes, Carl (1984). The Jack Wrangler Story, or What's a Nice Boy Like You Doing?. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312439415. 
  2. ^ [1] Dream Cast, Credits, and Program]
  3. ^ Margaret Whiting sues New York for $3 million

[edit] External links

[edit] See also