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Come Out and See ‘Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood’ at the Summer KCET Cinema Series on June 26th

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Q&A immediately following with the film’s subject Scotty Bowers and director Matt Tyrnauer.

"Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood" is the intriguing story of Scotty Bowers, a handsome ex-Marine who landed in Hollywood after World War II and became a confidante to many of Hollywood’s greatest male— and female — stars. In the 1940s and 50s, Scotty ran a gas station in the shadow of the studio lots where he would connect his friends with actors and actresses who had to hide their true sexual identities for fear of police raids at gay bars, societal shunning and career suicide. Though he may not be a household name, Scotty was a true legend to the celebrity royals that rose to stardom following Hollywood’s Golden Age.

In 2012, he finally spilled his secrets in the New York Times best-selling memoir "Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars," which revealed a dramatic, pre-Stonewall alternate history of Hollywood. While the studio PR machines were promoting their stars as wholesome and monogamous, Bowers was fulfilling the true desires of many of them. This documentary by producer/director Matt Tyrnauer ("Valentino: The Last Emperor") tells his story while presenting eye-opening takes on icons from the Hollywood Golden Age including Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and many more.

While the documentary may raise some eyebrows, particularly when outing the sexuality of many Hollywood icons posthumously, Tyrnauer defers to the film’s picaresque subject. “I think Scotty's answer to that is very elegant and speaks for itself, which is simply ‘What's wrong with being gay?’”

“Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” will be released in select theaters on June 27 by Greenwich Entertainment. The film’s subject Scotty Bowers and director Matt Tyrnauer will be in attendance for a Q&A session immediately following the screening with host Pete Hammond who can also be seen in KCET’s Must See Movies.

The summer season of the KCET Cinema Series is generously sponsored by the James and Paula Coburn Foundation as well as Deadline.com. The season began on June 5th and runs through July 31st. Season passes are available online via Eventbrite and individual admissions are available at the door for $30 each.

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