THE STORY – Joybubbles discovers he can manipulate the telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession unwittingly lays the groundwork for a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Rachael J. Morrison (Director)
THE RUNNING TIME – 79 Minutes
Given the eccentric story behind Rachael J. Morrison’s documentary, “Joybubbles,” it’s a surprise that the life of Joybubbles (formerly Joe Engressia) hadn’t already reached the big screen. But it feels as though the stars were aligned for Morrison to make her feature documentary debut with this rare gem of forgotten history. Her level of tact and curiosity lends perfectly to the childlike wonder of Joybubbles, a blind telephone hacker who rose to fame as “The Whistler” in the 1960s. From an early obsession with the telephone, Joybubbles accidentally discovered that he could manipulate the system by whistling pitch-perfect tones, allowing him to make free phone calls. Morrison’s documentary chronicles how this discovery, born out of pure joy and a yearning for connection, challenged ableist mindsets and made creative use of the telephone system. Imaginative and insightful, “Joybubbles” radiates the magic of unlocked potential.
When four-year-old Joe Engressia discovered the telephone, it became his personality and lifelong connection to the world. He wanted to learn how the world’s circuits worked and, more than anything, craved genuine communication with people. By age ten, Joe had learned how to make long-distance calls for free, once dialling from Miami to New York to ask, “How do you make jello?” Joe’s curiosity eventually led to the subversion of the American corporate landscape, as he exposed the telephone system’s vulnerability. In exploring the corporate implications of Joe’s actions, Morrison also unearths the personal story behind a man who legally changed his name to Joybubbles in his 30s, reclaiming a childhood that was robbed from him. Morrison’s documentary illuminates the unexpected journey of a storyteller-in-the-making whose creativity and personal experiences struck a chord in the lives of others.
Long before people were hacking computers, Joybubbles became famous among an underground subculture known as “phone phreaks,” and among rebels who wanted to make AT&T, the wealthiest U.S. company in the 1960s, more accessible for everyone. The documentary spends a large portion of its time on how Joybubbles’ talent for tones leads to a bigger picture of disruption. In 1968, he was cited for making free calls on behalf of fellow students at the University of South Florida. In 1971, he was arrested in Memphis for “phone pranks” and received a suspended sentence. Then, after whistling his way into Moscow’s military network, he was questioned about overthrowing the American government and charged with “malicious mischief.” Morrison captures this time period through a neat mix of archival footage, including newspaper articles, broadcast segments, and photographs. Talking-head interviews also highlight Joybubbles’ character (the complete opposite of malicious) and his impact on future innovators, such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
Most effectively, Morrison lets Joybubbles speak for himself, using rare tape recordings from his phone calls and speeches to enrich the documentary’s narration. With his voice as the storytelling guide, the director and subject feel very much in lockstep. Given that she was unable to communicate with Joybubbles, Morrison finds innovative ways to get to know him on a deeper level. Additionally, Morrison sets a playful tone with the visual language to convey how the phone allowed Joybubbles to expand his imagination. The documentary features some eclectic animation of telephones, a vision that Joybubbles had called a “bubble of love,” and footage of a life-sized phone set, which adds bursts of creativity.
Joybubbles’s inner child echoes powerfully throughout as he reflects on his traumatic past and dreams of moving forward to pursue an independent yet interconnected life. In a standout moment that conveys Joybubbles’ yearning for connection, he gets the idea for a phone line called the “Zzzzyzzerrific Funline,” listed as the last entry in the phone book. Callers would hear a radio program called “Stories and Stuff” on his answering machine, which he updated weekly. Recorded from Minneapolis, he would end the program by offering his personal number for anyone who needed someone to talk to. Coining another lovely phrase: “With friends, joys are doubled, and burdens are halved.” The documentary features several impactful moments, such as this one, crafting an intimate depiction of Joybubbles’ character that respects his inner child.
In 1988, Joybubbles traveled to Pittsburgh and listened to hundreds of archived tapes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood at the University of Pittsburgh Library. Fred Rogers, a cultural touchstone of learning and imagination, spoke to children about real-world subjects in ways that they could understand. Always gentle and never condescending, he took the time to make a genuine connection. Rachael J. Morrison adopts a similar approach to her documentary, illuminating what made Joybubbles unique in ways that we can understand. Combined with insightful voice recordings and a delightfully creative visual language, “Joybubbles” underlines how the opportunity to tell stories and discover genuine human connections is a phone call away.
