Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

Now 95 years old, showbiz demi-celebrity Scotty Bowers is seen in this documentary running up and down tall ladders, clearing his roof, and making author appearances (he published a tell-all memoir about his life in gay Hollywood) with jolly vigor. Whatever keeps him going probably accounts for the audacity he displayed in the late 1940s, when he moved to Los Angeles after serving as a U.S. Marine in the South Pacific during World War II. Taking a job as a gas station attendant, Bowers says he was propositioned by movie star Walter Pidgeon, who had pulled up for car service. After a later sexual encounter that netted Bowers $20, he launched an open-secret of a business at the gas station, pimping young hustlers to more stars, directors, and studio elites. Over time, Bowers catered to men and women alike with their various preferences, and appears not to have been regarded as a lowlife but rather a friend to a hidden community. The film dishes on various legends, including Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Cole Porter, and director George Cukor, but not for the sake of salaciousness. Indeed, filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer subtly reinforces the notion that there is always more to life than what we are told or shown. Bowers, despite or because of personal tragedies and the degree to which he is haunted by wartime memories, has made a choice to be happy, although there is clearly considerable agony below the surface. With the caveat that the film does feature graphic nudity and some sexually explicit footage, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)