Ethereal Reality introduced us to this "mystery photo" of a Richfield gas station at the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Van Ness on page 1673.
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Originally Posted by JeffDiego
Famous male hustler Scotty Bowers and his team of sex workers operated out of a Richfield gas station at 5777 Hollywood Blvd., corner of Van Ness, in the 1940's. It is no doubt pictured here.
In his 2012 memoir, "Full Service," the aged Bowers describes revisiting the scene of the old service station about 2011 and writes that "a new fire station for the Los Angeles Fire Department was rising there." The fire station address is 5769 (chuckle) Hollywood Blvd.
Bowers wrote, "Over the years more Hollywood personalities secretly congregated at that little gas station than anywhere else in town. It was a scene that saw as much furious action as the busiest studio back lot. The place became a magnet for those in quest of carnal thrills and escapism of every kind. A cavalcade of movie stars and others were attracted to the station like the proverbial moth to a flame...Straight, gay, or bi; male or female; young or old - I had something for everyone. The vice squad and the press were constantly lurking on the periphery, eagerly waiting to pounce. But I always managed to elude them."
This photo, showing the station at the foot of a tranquil-looking Hollywood residential street, was probably taken at the height of Bower's "reign," which started in 1946 and lasted several years. In his book, I recall he described a brick motel either next door or across the street. A picture of that would be interesting.
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The new documentary about Scotty Bowers, "Scotty and The Secret History of Hollywood," premiered this fall at film festivals in Toronto and New York, and the reviews have been uniformly positive. Here's one from The Hollywood reporter:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/re...review-1037277
Another view of The infamous Richfield gas station at Hollywood Blvd. and Van Ness, about 1949/50. (A larger photo shows a 1949 Mercury on the Boulevard).
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--AGGkVbmr...we5yhw354y.JPG
Scotty Bowers USMC, early or mid-1940's, Hollywood.
https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/...tty-bowers.jpg
Scotty with pals, presumably some of his "studs-for-hire," with unidentified woman, mid 1950's.
http://wstale.com/wp-content/uploads...history_01.jpg
Scotty with actresses Valerie Vernon and Constance Dowling at a Hollywood party, mid-1950's.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/...5500805236.jpg
The documentary arrives in theatres in April.
I watched an after-screening Q&A with the documentarian (nominated for an Oscar for "Valentino: The Last Emporer") on youtube and some formerly-skeptical audience members, previously convinced that Bowers is a liar because some of his stories are shocking and outlandish, spoke up and admitted that the movie changed their views.