Jack Wrangler, Gay Porn Idol, Dead At 62

[meegbear]

Jack Wrangler, a ruggedly handsome 1970s porn star whose openness about his homosexuality made him a symbol of self-confidence for many gay men, has died. He was 62.

Wrangler died Tuesday in Manhattan from complications of lung disease, said Lewis Tice, director of publicity and marketing for TLA Releasing, a distributor of gay-themed independent films.

His life of sometimes surprising turns _ he found decades-long love with big-band singer Margaret Whiting _ was chronicled in the documentary "Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon," released last fall.

"Jack Wrangler knew the power of image-making and inspired an entire generation to be comfortable in their own skin and to become the man of their dreams," said the film's director, Jeffrey Schwarz.

Born John Stillman in Beverly Hills, Calif., the son of TV producer Robert Stillman, Wrangler got his start performing in the religiously themed 1950s NBC series "The Faith of Our Children."

As a young man, he was bartending and go-go dancing in West Hollywood when a role in a San Francisco play sent his career hurtling in a new direction _ under a new last name, borrowed from the label on his plaid work shirt.

His nude scene in the show led to modeling and a string of gay, and later straight, erotic films, where his steely blue eyes, muscled physique, and open-shirted swagger made him a star.

<snip>

He met Whiting, a big-band era singer whose hits include "That Old Black Magic" and "Moonlight in Vermont," in the 1970s.

Their romance turned tabloid heads: Whiting, who survives him, is 22 years his senior, and Wrangler continued to describe himself as gay.

Nonetheless, Wrangler told the Chicago Tribune in 1985 that the two "see things the same way, comically, professionally and romantically." The pair eventually married.

He got out of porn after meeting Whiting and turned his attention to theater and cabaret, crafting Whiting's cabaret acts and several shows around the legacy of songwriter Johnny Mercer, who had fostered her career.

He was credited with conceiving "Dream," a 1997 Broadway revue of Mercer songs that featured Whiting.

<snip>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/08/jack-wrangler-gay-porn-id_n_184763.html

[Glorfindel]

1. May he rest in peace...I was a big fan of his

n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

2. As a young lad, I uh ... enjoyed his work very much.

[jonnyblitz]

3. I saw the documentary about him mentioned in your post.

very interesting.

[chollybocker]

4. I'm amazed to learn that he was married to Margaret Whiting

[Deja Q]

5. Human beings are a complex species, regardless of what the media sells people as being.

I'm also surprised; the lack of flak being thrown out for his choice to marry a woman... (Maybe he was bi?)


Edited: Candor

[xchrom]

6. i was a big fan of his -- and remain a big fan of whiting.

i knew he was married to her -- and always heard wonderful things about the pair.

he is gone too soon.

may Peace be with his family and friends.

[donheld]

7. May he rest in the great bathhouse in the sky

Till I get there.

[imdjh]

8. When I was a teenager, I thought he was the hottest. n/t