Jack Wrangler: In Memoriam
John Robert Stillman, also known as Jack Wrangler passed away at age 62 in New York following complications from lung disease. He was an actor in adult films in the 1970s and '80s and later producer, writer, composer, and director on Broadway. He is survived by his wife, singer Margaret Whiting.
Those are the simple facts. However, the truth of the matter is that a legend died. A gay icon. A person who paved the way for so many and whose influence will probably never be accurately measured. That said, at the very least there exists the recent documentary Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon which will in some way be an historical document of what Jack Wrangler meant to gay pop culture. In a life that was as full of accomplishment as it was of irony it seems fitting that the 2008 documentary just won the Best Alternative Film at the GayVN Awards.
Until Jack Wrangler there were very few positive gay male images or icons in any media, let alone in the world of adult cinema. With his blond hair, masculine good looks, and his signature plaid shirt and jeans Jack Wrangler created an oft-imitated iconic "clone" look that in many ways still exists today. Jack Wrangler didn't just appear in adult films--he was a performer who created a persona. He starred in many classic adult films with his name sometimes figuring more prominently than the title.
As we saw in the documentary Jack Wrangler had fun with this newfound fame, making personal appearances and appearing in over 85 gay films. He even went the "straight for pay" route by appearing in classic straight adult films too. He worked with some of the best and most well-known actors and actresses in the business by the time he retired from adult films in the mid-80s.
From there Jack Wrangler returned to being John Stillman and worked on Broadway musicals where he forged a successful career. Even though he was gay he met and married '40s singer Margaret Whiting i(who was over 20 years older) in 1994 and they were together until his death.
Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon will give you far more insight into Jack Wrangler than our words here can, but were struck by some of the moving tributes that came today from several people in the biz. It's obvious to us that Jack Wrangler was very much appreciated by a great many people. We should all be that lucky.
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