Synopsis
Wanda the Wonderful is a feature-length documentary film about an adventurous and volatile Wild West sharpshooter. Born in 1900 in the Chickasaw Indian Territory, Wanda grew up to be a rebel, a woman who toted guns and wore pants at a time when skirts were the norm. She traveled the world as “Wanda Savage,” entertaining audiences both large and small with her sharpshooting act. Along the way, she bore seven children by four different men, performed as a stuntwoman and actress in Hollywood, and was temporarily the Madame of a brothel, The Ritz. It was at The Ritz that she met her fourth and final husband, a sheep rancher named Carl Hampton. Wanda and Carl were going to live happily ever after, and did so for some time. But then Wanda's volatile temper got the best of her and during a heated argument she shot Carl in the shoulder.
Filmmaker Carolyn Macartney never met her grandmother Wanda but she was always intrigued by the stories she heard about her growing up, taboo subject though she was. Inspired by her mythic legacy, Carolyn will now uncover the true story of Wanda, a magnetic, restless and fallible character. In addition to exploring Wanda’s adventurous life and tempestuous love affairs, the film examines the sacrifices that all individuals of extreme talent and temperament make - and their consequences. Wanda was a woman who followed her passions - at whatever cost, and actually lived the Wild West.
Wanda the Wonderful is a feature-length documentary film about an adventurous and volatile Wild West sharpshooter. Born in 1900 in the Chickasaw Indian Territory, Wanda grew up to be a rebel, a woman who toted guns and wore pants at a time when skirts were the norm. She traveled the world as “Wanda Savage,” entertaining audiences both large and small with her sharpshooting act. Along the way, she bore seven children by four different men, performed as a stuntwoman and actress in Hollywood, and was temporarily the Madame of a brothel, The Ritz. It was at The Ritz that she met her fourth and final husband, a sheep rancher named Carl Hampton. Wanda and Carl were going to live happily ever after, and did so for some time. But then Wanda's volatile temper got the best of her and during a heated argument she shot Carl in the shoulder.
Filmmaker Carolyn Macartney never met her grandmother Wanda but she was always intrigued by the stories she heard about her growing up, taboo subject though she was. Inspired by her mythic legacy, Carolyn will now uncover the true story of Wanda, a magnetic, restless and fallible character. In addition to exploring Wanda’s adventurous life and tempestuous love affairs, the film examines the sacrifices that all individuals of extreme talent and temperament make - and their consequences. Wanda was a woman who followed her passions - at whatever cost, and actually lived the Wild West.