'Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood' Tells All at the 2018 Summer KCET Cinema Series

Following a screening of “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood”, Scotty Bowers and director Matt Tyrnauer attended a Q&A hosted by Cinema Series host Pete Hammond. A documentary chronicling the life of Scotty Bowers, a handsome ex-Marine who came to Hollywood after WWll and became connected to some of Hollywood’s most prominent stars. The documentary is the secret history of Hollywood in the pre-Stonewall era.

Scotty Bowers, having just been out of the Marines Corps after the second World War, came to Hollywood in 1946. Strikingly handsome and personable, he immediately caught the eye of many of the town’s stars, who encountered him at the gas station where he worked on Hollywood Boulevard next to studio lots. 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. 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.

Matt Tyrnauer is a writer, director, producer, and award-winning journalist. His recent films include "Valentino: The Last Emperor," "Citizen Jane: Battle for the City" and "Jean Nouvel: Reflections." Tyrnauer’s upcoming projects include the HBO dramatic adaptation of his Vanity Fair article “Once Upon a Time in Beverly Hills”; "Studio 54" and "Don’t Mess with Roy Cohn." Tyrnauer is an award-winning journalist, who has written for Vanity Fair, where he has been editor-at-large, special correspondent and is now a contributing editor. His work has also appeared in other publications including GQ, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, L'Uomo Vogue and Numero.

Listen to the Q&A and browse photos from the screening below.

1/3 Cinema Series host Pete Hammond, Director Matt Tyrnauer and Scotty Bowers take questions from the audience after a screening of "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood"

2/3 Cinema Series host Pete Hammond, Director Matt Tyrnauer and Scotty Bowers participate in Q&A after a screening of "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood"

3/3 Special guest Scotty Bower before a screening of "Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood"