A documentary titled “Joybubbles,” with a premise focused on someone with a unique physical trait that, when applied correctly, can cause more than a fair amount of shenanigans. A life story just as fascinating. Where to begin?
Captain Crunch, aside from being the name of one of cereal’s most memorable naval-themed mascots, was also the pseudonym of someone described as a “phone phreak,” an individual with the ability to manipulate telephone systems for their own financial gain. In most instances, such gains frequently involved long-distance phone calls, all of which once carried a hefty fee per minute for talking to someone far away, and the opportunity to make those calls for free. By utilizing a plastic whistle found within a box of Captain Crunch (real name John Draper), our hero was quick to discover that, by covering one of the air holes present on the side of this particular instrument, a sound was emitted that was able to manipulate the internal transmitters, switches and dials packed within the phone lines, thus bypassing security settings and achieving those all-important free calls.
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Throughout the remainder of the 20th century, phone phreaking remained a skill of sorts, all the way up to the now-widespread adoption of cell phones, with hackers such as Kevin Mitnick once described by a judge as someone who could whistle into a phone’s receiver and start the next world war. In the 1950s, however, a blind man named Josef Engressia discovered he genuinely possessed this ability, seemingly by chance, with a 2600 hertz whistle owing much to his naturally perfect pitch. The phone, however, meant far more to him than a gadget through which his own brand of mischief could be enacted; growing up in a household with a blind sister and constantly having to move due to the nature of his parents’ occupation, through archival interviews with Engressia is it revealed how the sound of the dial tone served as a source of comfort every time he heard his parents fight.
Determined to one day attend college despite repeated naysayers telling him of his plan’s fallacy, his knack for free phone calls quickly came in handy to scores of penniless students in need of a call home. However, when he was unable to secure a career in the telephone industry following graduation, a well-placed instance of phreaking resulted in his highly publicized arrest and, despite failing to achieve the everlasting level of notoriety he’d hoped, a small carrier eventually brought him on as an employee. Despite fulfilling his goal, a later wish would set the tone for the remainder of his life, as his longing for people to call him in an effort to connect with as many as possible would see him put his high IQ to good use by placing a number in the telephone directory (a phone book, for those 20 and under) purposely spelled with a series of Zs to grab curious eyeballs wondering who might occupy the final lines in such a mighty tome. Calling the number could result in pre-recorded skits, music, or even a conversation if one were so lucky.
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It’s no surprise to learn that, as someone who clung to childhood well into adulthood, his passion for Mister Rogers and the late children’s television host’s legendary program would figure heavily into his later years, and to hear not only close friends muse so positively about their friend but also Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, an admitted fan of Engressia’s ability as a pioneering phone phreak, only serve to endear all the further. The origin of his nickname and the title of the film does see an explanation, another checkmark on the list of Engressia’s childhood attachments, but also alludes to the use in which he willfully participated during those days of experimentation back in college.
As a story, it maintains an air of innocence throughout, making for a light, easy watch, with just enough curiosity to hold attention. As a documentary, it’s as straightforward as they come, with just enough frills to help the winding road of Joybubbles’ life find its way to a satisfying conclusion. By subverting expectations, “Joybubbles” becomes a delightful watch, a biography of a man whose talents on a telephone were just one of many that made him special. [A-]
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