# Gay Pimp to the Golden Age Stars Tells All (or what his lawyers will allow) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485 "2012-02-11T01:27:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/1 "2012-02-11T01:27:36Z")
Scotty Bowers was a gay prostitute in his 20s, a procurer and retailer of synthetic love for much of his life, and is now 88 and writing a tell-all book about the first two. You can read all about it in this article that has the official best title of any article published this week, [Gore Vidal Confirms That Katharine Hepburn Was A Very Slutty Lesbian](http://www.queerty.com/gore-vidal-confirms-that-katharine-hepburn-was-a-very-slutty-lesbian-20120210/) I would totally take Gore Vidal’s word on that too, because it’s fairly well known that she didn’t do _anything_ of a sexual nature without seeking Gore Vidal’s permission beforehand and calling him to give an update afterwards. (Maybe somebody got the tapes- those would be great to listen to- > [@](#): > > Hepburn: I love a big labia, Gore, really I do, but if I put my hand, rings included, into the amorous grotto I truly don’t want to be touching her liver before she even notices… > > Vidal: Yes Katharine, I understand completely, rather as I understood the subtext of Lee Radziwill’s commentary upon Princess Margaret’s overfondness of Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.'s peculiarly textured taint during an assignation that most would agree resulted in the birth of Bill Clinton, and as the Princess Radziwill nee Bouvier relayed to me at Joanne Woodward’s recent dinner party for the King of Thailand at which I was unceremoniously dispatched to tend a very drunken Oscar winner I’ll identify only as my dear friend Susan Sarandon who being currently crushed from being spurned by her 16 year old common law driver was attempting to commit frottage with Henry Kissinger and Joanne’s third favorite Rodin, actually a resin cast that would behoove the interior design of barbecue restaurants trade, but as Rousseau once said, though of course not in… > > Hepburn: Goddam it Gore I’m discussing fisting a blonde Vietnamese woman and there you are fa la la la la la la la la forever on the same goddam namedropping note. I have four Oscars I am simply not impressed! In any case, I shan’t ever use Bobby’s services again if he doesn’t start checking these bitches for vaginal echoes! Anyway, the ‘celebrities who used same sex hos’ named in the memoir, entitled **Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of Stars** ([additional articles](https://www.google.com/search?q=scotty+bowers+gore+vidal&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a)), include Walter Pidgeon (Bowers’ own first trick), Rock Hudson, Cary Grant (might want to be careful there- in fact Bowers admits he removed parts of those stories for fear of lawsuit from the Grant estate) and ‘usually said in conjunction with Grant and gay scandal’ Randolph Scott as well Hepburn of course, Vivien Leigh, Spencer Tracy (apparently neither Tracy nor Hepburn could make up their damned mind what they wanted- working on _Adam’s Rib_ or their umpteen other movies together must have been a nightmare), and Vincent Price. I must confess that the barely still living Gore Vidal vouching for somebody pushing sordid scandal does not equal ‘thoroughly vetted’, in my opinion, nor does the fact that Bowers waited til the stars mentioned were conveniently dead (aka the Boze Hadleigh Book of Revelations). I also argue whether the public truly has a right to know any of it if it is true (not arguing whether it’s his legal right to write it, just whether it really fills any need that can be morally justified), and find it surprising that an 88 year old is greedy enough to want as much assured condemnation and possible litigation as the book is likely to bring. (Maybe his wife is much younger and pushed him into it.) In any case, we haven’t had anything this trashy in a while to talk about. I personally will take the high road and not support such garbage with my money. I’ll just read the hell out of it in the bookstore iuntil I can find a cheap used copy. More MPSIMS but since it’s about Old Hollywood here seemed the appropriate place. Thoughts? Anyone planning on reading? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/2 "2012-02-11T15:10:19Z")
_I_ certainly am, gossipy Hollywood bios and trashy books like this are my secret vice! I wonder at the truth of these stories, whether this stuff actually happened, or if it was exaggerated, or simply the delusions of an old man-'ho. (There was a similar book a few years ago, a tell-all about the old-Hollywood female stars holding endless lesbian orgies no one ever knew about. I didn’t read it, it kind of was ignored and disappeared.) If you follow the blind items sites, absolutely nothing has changed in a century, our beloved filthy rich actors and actresses are still up to all kinds of shocking things. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/3 "2012-02-11T20:17:23Z")
There’s also stories of a brothel in Old Hollywood where the ladies were all lookalikes for the top stars of the era (the era being Ava Gardner/Lana Turner/Elizabeth Taylor/etc.). Mickey Rooney claims to have been there but he also claims Mickey Mouse was named for him (which is totally disproven) so who knows, but if it didn’t exist it should have. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/4 "2012-02-11T20:53:11Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > There’s also stories of a brothel in Old Hollywood where the ladies were all lookalikes for the top stars of the era (the era being Ava Gardner/Lana Turner/Elizabeth Taylor/etc.). A significant portion of the movie _L.A. Confidential_ dealt with this, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/5 "2012-02-12T00:43:28Z")
I skeptically raise one eyebrow at this book as high as a lady might raise an eyebrow. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/6 "2012-02-12T01:04:40Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I skeptically raise one eyebrow at this book as high as a lady might raise an eyebrow. For Joan Crawford I believe that was clocked at 6 feet, 7 inches. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/7 "2012-02-12T03:02:37Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I skeptically raise one eyebrow at this book as high as a lady might raise an eyebrow. Just curious why you would think it’s all BS? In perusing the various tell alls about the lives of the golden age film stars it would seem many of them led pretty sybaritic lifestyles behind closed doors. Why would this guys book not (potentially) be true in that context? ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/8 "2012-02-12T03:36:25Z")
Not Rock Hudson! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/9 "2012-02-12T03:43:21Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Just curious why you would think it’s all BS? In perusing the various tell alls about the lives of the golden age film stars it would seem many of them led pretty sybaritic lifestyles behind closed doors. Why would this guys book not (potentially) be true in that context? Word has it in Hollywood that this guy has long been known as a whore and a pimp, but also well-known as a liar and BS artist. I have no intentions of reading the book, but from the reviews, a lot of the “encounters” are either highly unlikely or simply disproven by actual biographers. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/10 "2012-02-12T03:50:02Z")
I’ll definitely see the movie version, if one gets made. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/11 "2012-02-12T03:51:36Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Just curious why you would think it’s all BS? In perusing the various tell alls about the lives of the golden age film stars it would seem many of them led pretty sybaritic lifestyles behind closed doors. Why would this guys book not (potentially) be true in that context? Knowing nothing about any particular claims in this book, there is a kind of sexuality-archaeology popular in which people try to guess basically the orientation of dead people. It doesn’t matter if there isn’t one bit of evidence to support it, they will latch onto things written by people from different cultures in different times and claim it as a smoking gun. Holy shit guys he said “I enjoy the company of other men” we’ve got it now! I’m getting tired of it. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/12 "2012-02-12T03:56:51Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Knowing nothing about any particular claims in this book, there is a kind of sexuality-archaeology popular in which people try to guess basically the orientation of dead people. It doesn’t matter if there isn’t one bit of evidence to support it, they will latch onto things written by people from different cultures in different times and claim it as a smoking gun. Holy shit guys he said “I enjoy the company of other men” we’ve got it now! > > I’m getting tired of it. There’s a big difference between a live call-boy telling all, than wishful thinkers going through history books looking for vague clues. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/13 "2012-02-12T04:01:10Z")
I refuse to brook any aspersions to Walter Pidgeon’s character. I’ve loved him madly since I saw “How Green Was My Valley” when I was about 10 (thanks, Million Dollar Movie!) UT ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/14 "2012-02-12T04:13:03Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > There’s a big difference between a live call-boy telling all, than wishful thinkers going through history books looking for vague clues. Is there? I’m assuming if he had evidence aside from his claims he would not have waited so long, you can’t slander the dead after all. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/15 "2012-02-12T04:37:35Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Is there? I’m assuming if he had evidence aside from his claims he would not have waited so long, you can’t slander the dead after all. Could be, but it could also be an old guy who doesn’t really need the money but doesn’t want this particular period of Hollywood (and American) history to disappear when he dies. The publisher that finally picked up the book said one of the reasons he agreed is because the book didn’t seem mean-spirited at all. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/16 "2012-02-12T05:55:36Z")
Or it could just be a load of hogwash. I wouldn’t give it any moral value. We should be moving beyond this sort of.thing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/17 "2012-02-12T05:59:18Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > … I personally will take the high road and not support such garbage with my money. I’ll just read the hell out of it in the bookstore iuntil I can find a cheap used copy. Aren’t you a librarian? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/18 "2012-02-12T06:14:34Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > Or it could just be a load of hogwash. I wouldn’t give it any moral value. We should be moving beyond this sort of.thing. If you consider it tabloid glurge then I’d agree. OTOH, the thing we’re supposed to be moving beyond is our predictable habit of politely editing the gay parts out of history. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/19 "2012-02-12T06:17:15Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Word has it in Hollywood that this guy has long been known as a whore and a pimp, but also well-known as a liar and BS artist. I have no intentions of reading the book, but from the reviews, a lot of the “encounters” are either highly unlikely or simply disproven by actual biographers. LOL!! How do you ‘disprove’ a sexual encounter? ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485/20 "2012-02-12T06:22:01Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > LOL!! How do you ‘disprove’ a sexual encounter? And on the flip side how do you prove it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gay-pimp-to-the-golden-age-stars-tells-all-or-what-his-lawyers-will-allow/612485.md?page=2)