• Scotty Bowers, a World War II veteran from Illinois, moved to California after the war and began working at a gas station on Hollywood Boulevard
• Actor Walter Pidgeon stopped at the gas station and invited Scotty to his home; that encounter would facilitate Scotty’s entry into Hollywood social circles
• He earned a reputation for arranging trysts and participating himself, which he continued to do until the AIDS crisis hit Hollywood
• Scotty says he had threesomes with everyone from Cary Grant and Randolph Scott to Lana Turner and Ava Gardner
• He claims he had sleepovers with Spencer Tracy – and says he set up Katharine Hepburn with around 150 women over 39 years
• He also says he set up the abdicated King of England, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson 
• Bowers had his own share of heartbreak in his life, including the wartime death of his brother and the tragic loss of his daughter at age 23
• Now 95, he still lives in Los Angeles with his wife of nearly 35 years, Lois 
• The documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood opens this month

The description of Scotty Bowers and his exploits in Hollywood provides a fascinating glimpse into the hidden history of the entertainment industry. Bowers’ life, as depicted in the documentary “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” directed by Matt Tyrnauer, unveils a world of secret liaisons and behind-the-scenes arrangements involving some of the most iconic figures in Hollywood. The film not only covers his past but also his present lifestyle, showcasing his 90th birthday celebration and his relationship with his wife, Lois. This narrative, filled with claims of famous figures’ hidden sexualities and clandestine encounters, paints a vivid picture of a bygone era in Hollywood’s glamorous yet secretive history.

Scotty Bowers, now 95, eagerly recounts his memories from his time as a ‘trick’ and facilitator in Hollywood. He proudly shares old photos and reminisces with the men he once recruited or socialized with. Bowers waited until the most famous players had passed away before publishing his tell-all book, Full Service, in 2012.

Reflecting on his past, Scotty remarks, “I often think back to how nice things were; I can’t think back on any bad scenes or any bad things at all. So many people have said the nicest and best time of their whole life was that gas station. That’s why I felt good – that I made so many people happy.”

He explains his decision to wait before revealing his stories: “When everyone was living, I would never even think, under any circumstances… no matter what anyone offered me, I wouldn’t write a book then. A lot of people at the time knew who these people were and what they were, so it’s not a secret really. It may be a secret for some square that lives in Illinois, but people who live in Hollywood? They knew these people.”

When asked about his own sexuality, Scotty simply says, “I’m everything.”

Stephen Fry comments in the film, “Scotty was pre-gay. He himself doesn’t conform very particularly; Scotty just breezes across all the fences that we erect to separate ourselves from others.”

Director Matt Tyrnauer, who had heard tales about the dual-function gas station for years before meeting Scotty, credits his friend Gore Vidal for the connection. “One day he brought up the gas station, and he brought up the man behind it, Scotty Bowers,” Tyrnauer recalls. “And I was astonished that Scotty was still around and that I had a personal connection to him. So at that moment, I decided this was my next film, almost sight unseen. Through Gore Vidal, I met Scotty; I found out that he had finished the manuscript, which became his book… And Scotty agreed to take part in the film, and we were off to the races.”

Tyrnauer adds, “When I went to start filming Scotty, I discovered that there was a wife – and this astonishes a lot of people, that the leading male prostitute of his generation in Hollywood is married to a woman. And this just speaks to Scotty’s pansexuality.”

This narrative provides a rich, behind-the-scenes look at a lesser-known aspect of Hollywood history, revealing the complexity and fluidity of sexual identity and relationships during that era.