| Revision as of 06:22, 9 October 2015 editBG19bot (talk | contribs)1,005,055 editsm WP:CHECKWIKI error fix for #64. Do general fixes if a problem exists. - using AWB (11700)← Previous edit | Revision as of 00:00, 17 October 2015 edit undoGeorge Ho (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users118,232 edits Rv back per talk pageNext edit → | ||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
| | followed_by = | | followed_by = | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| ⚫ | '''''Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars''''' is a "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 ] lawyer before publication, was 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.<ref name="New York Times" /> | ||
| '''''Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars''''' by Scotty Bowers is a "tell all" book about the sex lives of Hollywood stars. | |||
| == Summary == | |||
| '''George Albert Bowers''' (born 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.<ref name="LA">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> For many years his reputation, and that of the notorious ] service station on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Van Ness where he first worked in Los Angeles, had only been alluded to in books such as ]. Later he become a party bartender. | |||
| 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. 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 ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]—whom he says was a cross-dresser—], ], 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—mostly prostitutes— to Alfred Kinsey as interview subjects for his famous study on human sexuality. The veracity of Bowers' many claims has been endorsed by ].<ref name="Walters" /> | |||
| Bowers |
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 got 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" /> | ||
| ⚫ | == Reception == | ||
| In 2012 the publication of his memoir ''Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars'', co-written with Lionel Friedberg, drew significant publicity, including a profile in the New York Times, and a feature on '']''.<ref name="CBS" /> | |||
| ⚫ | 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" /> | ||
| ⚫ | The book was vetted by a ] lawyer before publication, |
||
| == Life and career == | |||
| Scotty Bowers was born in Ottawa, Illinois. After hustling his way through the Depression in Chicago, he fought in the Pacific, including at the ], as a ] in the ] during World War II,<ref name="Tschorn" /> losing his brother and two close friends. In 1946 he was pumping gas at a service station in Hollywood when, according to his memoir, ] gave him $20 for a sexual encounter. Bowers claims that word spread about him 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 Bowers stopped working at the service station and began a legitimate business as a party bartender. According to ''Variety'': "Everyone knows Scotty. After all, he’s been serving drinks to the Beverly Hills crowd for almost 60 years, working a different party almost every night of the week, sometimes two a day."<ref name="Debruge">Debruge, Peter ''Bartender To Babyon'', ''Variety'' 22 June 2006 http://variety.com/2006/film/features/bartender-to-babylon-1200337270/</ref> | |||
| The memoir states that he became well known in Hollywood for arranging sexual encounters for those of all sexual persuasions as part of his party service. Bowers claims he arranged encounters for ] and ] (whom he says were lovers), ], ], ]] (with "over 150 different women" - he suggests her relationship with Spencer Tracey was a friendship mythologised as a romance for public relations purposes),<ref name="Barnes" /> ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and his longtime lover ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]<nowiki/>whom he claims was a cross-dresser), ], ], and the ] and ] (both of whom Bowers claims were homosexual, and that their marriage was a sham).<ref name="Barnes" /><ref name="wigz" /><ref name="Tschorn" /><ref name="Walters" /> | |||
| Bowers' was never prosecuted by the authorities for his illicit activities; he kept all his contact information in his head.<ref name="Barnes" /> 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—mostly prostitutes— to Alfred Kinsey as interview subjects for his famous study on human sexuality. | |||
| Bowers ceased 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 was still working as a bartender in his late eighties, although he had no need, having been willed three houses by the real estate savvy actor ]. The acclaimed cinematographer ] also bequeathed him his Oscar.<ref name="Debruge"/> | |||
| ==Support of claims== | |||
| The veracity of Bowers' many claims was endorsed by ].<ref name="Walters" /> (Vidal spoke at the official launch of the memoir.)<ref>http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/08/02/gore-vidal-remembered-by-his-closest-friend-scotty-bowers.html</ref> 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 procurer of choice 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 name="LA"/> 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 recalled in ]'s memoir.<ref>Reynolds, Debbie ''Make 'Em Laugh: Short-Term Memories of Longtime Friends '', William Morrow, 2015</ref> A profile in '']'' attested to Bowers' connections, career of sexual support, and happy-go-lucky character. "Clients all agreed that he was “very good” at what he did, and very agreeable... And very discreet. He did not discriminate. He even had one regular longtime client...who had no arms and no legs...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 |
||
| ⚫ | Adam Tschorn, writing for the '']'', described |
||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
Revision as of 00:00, 17 October 2015
| File:Full Service book cover.jpgCover | |
| Author | Scotty Bowers |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Hollywood gossip |
| Publisher | Grove Press / Grove/Atlantic |
| Publication date | 2012 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-0-8021-2007-6 |
Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars is a "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. Matt Tyrnauer, director of Valentino: The Last Emperor, is currently in production on a documentary film about Bowers's life.
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 Cary Grant and Randolph Scott (whom he says were lovers), George Cukor, and Rock Hudson, and Vivien Leigh. He says he arranged encounters for Katharine Hepburn with "over 150 different women". He claims to have arranged various types of encounters (with men or women) for Desi Arnaz, Alfred A. Knopf, Sr., Cole Porter, Laurence Olivier, Tyrone Power, Tennessee Williams, Howard Hughes, John Carradine, Montgomery Clift, Anthony Perkins and his longtime lover Tab Hunter, Malcolm Forbes, Harold Lloyd, Tony Richardson, Errol Flynn, Bob Hope, W. Somerset Maugham, Vincent Price, Édith Piaf, J. Edgar Hoover—whom he says was a cross-dresser—Brian Epstein, Raymond Burr, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (both of whom Bowers claims were homosexual; he claims that their marriage was a sham). 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. 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 Deep Throat, 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. The veracity of Bowers' many claims has been endorsed by Gore Vidal.
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 got 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. 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", and that its most shocking part was one where Bowers claimed that King Edward VIII abdicated to marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson as a coverup for both being homosexual.
See also
References
- 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.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (January 27, 2012). "Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book". New York Times. p. ST1. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- "Hollywood Fixer Opens His Little Black Book". New York Times. January 27, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- ^ Tschorn, Adam (February 14, 2012). "Scotty Bowers' 'Full Service' names names from Hollywood Golden Age". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- ^ "Former Hollywood 'pimp' says he fixed up Katherine Hepburn with 150 women (sic)". Wisconsin Gazette. January 31, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- "A keeper of Hollywood's secrets now spills them". CBS News. Retrieved June 10, 2012.