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{{Short description|Book by Scotty Bowers}}
{{Infobox book {{Infobox book
| name = Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars | name = Full Service
| italic title = force
| title_orig = | title_orig =
| translator = | translator =
| image = Full Service book cover.jpg | image = Full Service hardcover first edition.jpg
| caption = First hardcover edition (2012)
| image_size = 200px
⚫ | author = ], ]
| caption = Cover
⚫ | author = Scotty Bowers
| illustrator = | illustrator =
| cover_artist = | cover_artist =
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| followed_by = | followed_by =
}} }}
'''''Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars''''' by Scott Bowers is a "tell all" book about the sex lives of Hollywood stars. '''''Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars''''' is a 2012 "]" book about the sex lives of Hollywood stars from the late 1940s to the early 1980s by ], with Lionel Friedberg as a contributing author.


Bowers makes many claims about the sex lives of many people, most of whom were associated with the Hollywood movie industry during that period. The book, which was vetted by a ] lawyer before publication, was refused by several publishers before ultimately being accepted by ] and ].<ref name="Barnes" />
'''George Albert Bowers''' (1 July 1923 - ), commonly known as Scotty Bowers, was a strikingly handsome, well-endowed and personable ex-marine who was, from the 1940s to the 1980s, an underground legend in Hollywood as the go-to sexual procurer for many stars, celebrities and ordinary citizens, both gay and straight. For many years his reputation, and that of the notorious gas station on Sunset Boulevard where he had worked, had only alluded to in books such as ] and ''Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood.''

Bowers decided to finally talk about his life since most of the people involved were dead and could no longer be affected by his revelations.<ref name="Barnes" /><ref name="wigz" />

In 2012 the publication of his memoir '<nowiki/>'''<nowiki/>'<nowiki/>''Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars<nowiki>''</nowiki>''''', co-written with Lionel Friedberg, drew significant publicity, including a profile in the New York Times, and a feature on '']''.<ref name="CBS" />

The book was vetted by a ] lawyer before publication, and had been refused by several publishers before ultimately being accepted by ] and ].<ref name="Barnes" /> Matt Tyrnauer, director of '']'', is currently in production on a documentary film about Bowers's life entitled '''<nowiki>'Scotty''</nowiki>.''<ref name="New York Times" />


== Summary == == Summary ==
Scotty Bowers was born in Ottawa, Illinois. He fought in the Pacific, including at the ], as a ] in the ] during World War II.<ref name="Tschorn" /> In 1946 he was pumping gas at a service station in Hollywood when he says ] gave him $20 for a gay sexual encounter. Word spread about Bowers among Pidgeon's friends, and Bowers turned the service station into a meeting place for paid sexual encounters, which took place in a nearby trailer or hotel, with his old marine friends assisting him in the business. In 1950 he stopped working at the service station and began a legitimate business as a party bartender. Bowers became well known in Hollywood for arranging sexual encounters for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals as part of his party service. In the book Bowers claims he arranged gay or bisexual encounters for ] and ] (whom he says were lovers), ], and ], and ]. He says he arranged encounters for ] with "over 150 different women".<ref name="Barnes" /> He claims to have arranged various types of encounters (with men or women) for ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and his longtime lover ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]&mdash;whom he says was a cross-dresser&mdash;], ], and the ] and ] (both of whom Bowers claims were homosexual; he claims that their marriage was a sham).<ref name="Barnes" /><ref name="Tschorn" /><ref name="wigz" /><ref name="Walters" /> Grove Press had the book reviewed by a libel lawyer prior to publication. Bowers' illicit activities were never caught by authorities; he kept all his contact information in his head.<ref name="Barnes" /> He also claims that the romance between Tracy and Hepburn was a myth dreamed up by publicists to give each a facade of heterosexuality. During the popularity of the film '']'', Bowers claims to have arranged for Linda Lovelace to give instruction on deepthroating at parties. He also claims to have provided women&mdash;mostly prostitutes&mdash; to Alfred Kinsey as interview subjects for his famous study on human sexuality. Bowers fought in the Pacific, including at the ], as a ] in the ] during World War II.<ref name="Tschorn" /> In 1946 he was pumping gas at a service station in Hollywood when he says ] gave him $20 for a gay sexual encounter. Word spread about Bowers among Pidgeon's friends, and Bowers turned the service station into a meeting place for paid sexual encounters, which took place in a nearby trailer or hotel, with his old marine friends assisting him in the business.


Bowers put a stop to this aspect of his life and business when the AIDS epidemic began, though he continued to work as a handyman and bartender during this time. He married in 1984 to his wife, Lois. Bowers claims he never took payment for arranging sexual encounters for others, only when he provided sex himself, and that though he is bisexual, his own preference is for women. Bowers never talked publicly about these experiences before but decided to do so now because most of the people involved are now dead and can no longer be affected by his revelations.<ref name="Barnes" /><ref name="wigz" /> On June 10, 2012, Bowers was featured on the show '']''.<ref name="CBS" /> In 1950 he stopped working at the service station and began a legitimate business as a party bartender. Bowers became well known in Hollywood for arranging sexual encounters for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals as part of his party service. In the book Bowers claims he arranged gay or bisexual encounters for many actors and notable persons.<ref name="Barnes" /><ref name="Tschorn" /><ref name="wigz" /><ref name="Walters" /> Bowers' illicit activities were never detected by the authorities; he kept all his contact information in his head.<ref name="Barnes" />


In the mid 1970s, when the film '']'' was popular, Bowers claims to have arranged for ] to give instruction on deepthroating at parties. He also claims to have provided women—mostly prostitutes—to ] as interview subjects for his famous study on human sexuality. ] wrote that Bowers was a long time friend whose stories he believed.<ref name="Walters" />
==Support of claims==


Bowers ended this business when the AIDS epidemic began, though he continued to work as a handyman and bartender during this time, and in 1984 he married. Bowers said he never took payment for arranging sexual encounters for others, only when he provided sex himself, and that though he was bisexual, his own preference was for women. Bowers never talked publicly about these experiences before but decided to do so because most of the people involved are now dead and can no longer be affected by his revelations.<ref name="Barnes" /><ref name="wigz" /> On June 10, 2012, Bowers was featured on the show '']''.<ref name="CBS" />
The veracity of Bowers' many claims was endorsed by ].<ref name="Walters" /> Robert Benevides who appears in Full Service, and was the partner of actor ], also attested to Bowers' credibility, saying "Scotty just liked to make people happy." He also confirmed to ''LA Weekly'' that Bowers took no money for making 'introductions', and that he had been the go-to procurer for many Hollywood stars, both gay and straight. Joan Allemand, a former arts director of the Beverly Hills Unified School District, who knew Bowers for more than 20 years and introduced him to his co-writer, Friedberg said: "Scotty doesn't lie about anything. He's a poor kid from a farm in Illinois, and when he got here, his two assets were his big penis and charming personality. That's what he used to feed his family."<ref>Teetor, Paul ''The apparently true story of the man who secured gay lovers for Old Hollywood'', 19 March 2012 http://www.laweekly.com/arts/the-apparently-true-story-of-the-man-who-secured-gay-lovers-for-old-hollywood-2372317</ref> Bowers is fondly recalled in Sir ]'s published diary as 'Scotty'.<ref>Beaton, Cecil ''Beaton in the Sixties: The Cecil Beaton Diaries as He Wrote Them, 1965-1969'', Alfred A. Knopf 2004 p355-6</ref> He is also mentioned in ]'s memoir.<ref>Reynolds, Debbie ''Make 'Em Laugh: Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends '', William Morrow, 2015</ref> A profile in ] also attested to Bowers' connections, career of sexual support, and happy-go-lucky character: "The Scotty I knew was a guy who always seemed to be enjoying his life working morning, noon and night, with never a gripe; always with a smile to greet you, and never with an axe to grind. After a lifetime in Hollywood, that’s a remarkable feat and its own kind of Zen."<ref>Columbia, David Patrick ''Its own kind of zen'', 30 January 2012 http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/social-diary/2012/its-own-kind-of-zen</ref>


== Reception == == Reception ==
⚫ Adam Tschorn, writing for the '']'', described the book as having an uneven, at times choppy, pace and much ], highlighting a passage in which Bowers describes how he milked a cow. Although he considered some of the details too much for the general reader, he wrote that the book was "a good trashy read".<ref name="Tschorn" /> Matt Tyrnauer, a writer for '']'', described Bowers as "like the Kinsey Reports live and in living color", if the reader believed him.<ref name="Barnes" /> Joanna Walters, in '']'', wrote that the book was a "titillating catalogue of sexual intrigue."<ref name="Walters" />


== Film adaptation ==
⚫ Adam Tschorn, writing for the '']'', described the book as having an uneven, at times choppy, pace and much ], highlighting a passage in which Bowers describes how he milked a cow. Although he considered some of the details too much for the general reader, he wrote that the book was "a good trashy read".<ref name="Tschorn" /> Matt Tyrnauer, a writer for '']'', described Bowers as "like the Kinsey Reports live and in living color", if the reader believed him.<ref name="Barnes" /> Joanna Walters, in '']'', wrote that the book was a "titillating catalogue of sexual intrigue", and that its most shocking part was one where Bowers claimed that ] abdicated to marry the American divorcée ] as a coverup for both being homosexual.<ref name="Walters" />
Directed by ] and released in 2017, the documentary '']'' recounts the book's themes, expanded by additional recollections from Bowers and those in his life.<ref name="Barnes" /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Siegel|first1=Tatiana|title=Cannes: Two Hot Hollywood-Themed Docs to Get Sneak Screenings|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-two-hot-hollywood-themed-796551|access-date=April 2, 2016|work=]|date=May 19, 2015}}</ref>


== See also == == See also ==
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| location = New York City | location = New York City
| isbn = 978-0-8021-2007-6 | isbn = 978-0-8021-2007-6
| url-access = registration
| url = https://archive.org/details/fullservicemyadv00scot
}} }}
</ref> </ref>
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| date = January 27, 2012 | date = January 27, 2012
| title = Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book | title = Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book
| newspaper = New York Times | newspaper = ]
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/fashion/scotty-bowers-and-his-sexual-tell-all-of-old-hollywood.html?pagewanted=all | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/fashion/scotty-bowers-and-his-sexual-tell-all-of-old-hollywood.html
| page = ST1 | page = ST1
| accessdate = June 10, 2012 | access-date = March 13, 2018
}} }}
</ref> </ref>
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| newspaper = Wisconsin Gazette | newspaper = Wisconsin Gazette
| date = January 31, 2012 | date = January 31, 2012
| title = Former Hollywood 'pimp' says he fixed up Katherine Hepburn with 150 women (sic) | title = Former Hollywood 'pimp' says he fixed up Katherine Hepburn with 150 women
| url = http://www.wisconsingazette.com/breaking-news/former-hollywood-pimp-says-he-fixed-up-katherine-hepburn-with-150-women.html | url = http://www.wisconsingazette.com/news/former-hollywood-pimp-says-he-fixed-up-katherine-hepburn-with/article_a24ba77b-5f25-5289-8302-0d307f46aca6.html
| accessdate = June 10, 2012 | access-date = June 10, 2012
}} }}
</ref> </ref>
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| date = February 1, 2012 | date = February 1, 2012
| title = Sex fixer to the stars lifts lid on scandal in Hollywood's golden age | title = Sex fixer to the stars lifts lid on scandal in Hollywood's golden age
| newspaper = The Guardian | newspaper = ]
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/sex-scandal-hollywood-golden-age | url = https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/sex-scandal-hollywood-golden-age
| accessdate = June 10, 2012 | access-date = June 10, 2012
}} }}
</ref> </ref>
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| date = February 14, 2012 | date = February 14, 2012
| title = Scotty Bowers' 'Full Service' names names from Hollywood Golden Age | title = Scotty Bowers' 'Full Service' names names from Hollywood Golden Age
| newspaper = Los Angeles Times | newspaper = ]
| url = http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/14/entertainment/la-et-0214-book-20120214 | url = https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-feb-14-la-et-0214-book-20120214-story.html
| accessdate = June 10, 2012 | access-date = June 10, 2012
}} }}
</ref> </ref>
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<ref name="CBS"> <ref name="CBS">
{{cite web {{cite web
| publisher = CBS News | work = CBS News
| title = A keeper of Hollywood's secrets now spills them | title = A keeper of Hollywood's secrets now spills them
| url = http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57450055/a-keeper-of-hollywoods-secrets-now-spills-them/ | url = https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-keeper-of-hollywoods-secrets-now-spills-them/
| accessdate = June 10, 2012 | access-date = June 10, 2012
}} }}
</ref> </ref>


<ref name="New York Times">
{{cite news
| newspaper = New York Times
| date = January 27, 2012
| title = Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/fashion/scotty-bowers-and-his-sexual-tell-all-of-old-hollywood.html?_r=0
| accessdate = December 29, 2013
}}
</ref>
}} }}


== External links == == External links ==
* at ] * at ]


] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 01:17, 1 September 2024

Book by Scotty Bowers
Full Service
First hardcover edition (2012)
AuthorScotty Bowers, Lionel Friedberg
LanguageEnglish
SubjectHollywood gossip
PublisherGrove Press / Grove/Atlantic
Publication date2012
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover)
ISBN978-0-8021-2007-6

Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars is a 2012 "tell-all" book about the sex lives of Hollywood stars from the late 1940s to the early 1980s by Scotty Bowers, with Lionel Friedberg as a contributing author.

Bowers makes many claims about the sex lives of many people, most of whom were associated with the Hollywood movie industry during that period. The book, which was vetted by a libel lawyer before publication, was refused by several publishers before ultimately being accepted by Grove Press and Grove/Atlantic.

Summary

Bowers fought in the Pacific, including at the Battle of Iwo Jima, as a paramarine in the Marine Corps during World War II. In 1946 he was pumping gas at a service station in Hollywood when he says Walter Pidgeon gave him $20 for a gay sexual encounter. Word spread about Bowers among Pidgeon's friends, and Bowers turned the service station into a meeting place for paid sexual encounters, which took place in a nearby trailer or hotel, with his old marine friends assisting him in the business.

In 1950 he stopped working at the service station and began a legitimate business as a party bartender. Bowers became well known in Hollywood for arranging sexual encounters for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals as part of his party service. In the book Bowers claims he arranged gay or bisexual encounters for many actors and notable persons. Bowers' illicit activities were never detected by the authorities; he kept all his contact information in his head.

In the mid 1970s, when the film Deep Throat was popular, Bowers claims to have arranged for Linda Lovelace to give instruction on deepthroating at parties. He also claims to have provided women—mostly prostitutes—to Alfred Kinsey as interview subjects for his famous study on human sexuality. Gore Vidal wrote that Bowers was a long time friend whose stories he believed.

Bowers ended this business when the AIDS epidemic began, though he continued to work as a handyman and bartender during this time, and in 1984 he married. Bowers said he never took payment for arranging sexual encounters for others, only when he provided sex himself, and that though he was bisexual, his own preference was for women. Bowers never talked publicly about these experiences before but decided to do so because most of the people involved are now dead and can no longer be affected by his revelations. On June 10, 2012, Bowers was featured on the show CBS News Sunday Morning.

Reception

Adam Tschorn, writing for the Los Angeles Times, described the book as having an uneven, at times choppy, pace and much purple prose, highlighting a passage in which Bowers describes how he milked a cow. Although he considered some of the details too much for the general reader, he wrote that the book was "a good trashy read". Matt Tyrnauer, a writer for Vanity Fair, described Bowers as "like the Kinsey Reports live and in living color", if the reader believed him. Joanna Walters, in The Guardian, wrote that the book was a "titillating catalogue of sexual intrigue."

Film adaptation

Directed by Matt Tyrnauer and released in 2017, the documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood recounts the book's themes, expanded by additional recollections from Bowers and those in his life.

See also

References

  1. Bowers, Scotty (2012). Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars. New York City: Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-2007-6.
  2. ^ Barnes, Brooks (January 27, 2012). "Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book". The New York Times. p. ST1. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  3. ^ Tschorn, Adam (February 14, 2012). "Scotty Bowers' 'Full Service' names names from Hollywood Golden Age". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  4. ^ "Former Hollywood 'pimp' says he fixed up Katherine [sic] Hepburn with 150 women". Wisconsin Gazette. January 31, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Walters, Joanna (February 1, 2012). "Sex fixer to the stars lifts lid on scandal in Hollywood's golden age". The Guardian. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  6. "A keeper of Hollywood's secrets now spills them". CBS News. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  7. Siegel, Tatiana (May 19, 2015). "Cannes: Two Hot Hollywood-Themed Docs to Get Sneak Screenings". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 2, 2016.

External links

Categories: