In case you just tuned in, I’m doing a little fact-checking as I go through Scotty Bowers’ “Full Service.” This will be fairly tedious except to a research drudge.
Good grief, Harnisch, eight posts and you’re still on Page 1?
Yes, it’s true. Although I did warn everybody that this is tedious work.
Russ Swanson, an ex-Marine Corps buddy of mine, worked at a Union Oil gas station on Wilshire Boulevard. He occasionally asked me to help out at the pumps from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., just before I went to work at my own evening gas station job on Hollywood Boulevard.
Fact-Checking “Full Service”: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
In our last post, we had a sort of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” beginning: “Once upon a time there was a Union Oil gas station on Wilshire Boulevard.” I’ve identified five Union Oil stations and because Wilshire runs from downtown to the ocean there could be even more – for example, in Santa Monica — that weren’t listed in the Los Angeles-area phone book.
Now it’s time to wonder about Scotty Bowers’ “ex-Marine Corps buddy” Russ Swanson.
The 1946 Los Angeles telephone directory at the Daily Mirror HQ (thank you, EBay), lists a Russell P. Swanson at 5444 W. 115th. Of course it could be some other Russell Swanson, but it’s a start.
Although the 1946 listing says “LA,” it appears that 5444 W. 115th St. is actually in Hawthorne – or it was until being wiped out by the Century Freeway.
The 1942 Los Angeles city directory (online courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library) lists a Russell A. Swanson, who was a carpenter for the Southern Pacific.
Unfortunately, the next online directory is for 1956, presenting a 10-year gap. Instead, let’s check the California Death Index.
Of the 13 people listed in death records from 1940 to 1997, these men appear to have been eligible for service in World War II.
Alfred Russell Swanson (born 1915)
Lawrence Russell Swanson (born 1922)
Russell F. Swanson (born 1916)
Russell J. Swanson (born 1917)
Russell M. Swanson (born 1924)
Russell W. Swanson (born 1919)
The Social Security Death Index lists 31 men named Russell Swanson born within a 10-year range centered at 1923, the year Bowers was born:
1. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 5 Jul 1918 State Where Number was Issued: Minnesota Death: 12 Aug 1996
2. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 3 Apr 1919 State Where Number was Issued: Pennsylvania Death: 10 Jul 1999
3. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 27 Apr 1919 State Where Number was Issued: South Dakota Death: Feb 1985
4. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 2 Nov 1919 State Where Number was Issued: California Death: 10 Apr 1994
5. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 19 Jan 1919 State Where Number was Issued: Washington Death: 24 Dec 2010
6. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 31 Mar 1920 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 30 Oct 1987
7. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 30 Jun 1920 State Where Number was Issued: Michigan Death: 6 Aug 2001
8. Russ SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 26 Sep 1920 State Where Number was Issued: Minnesota Death: 15 Nov 2005
9. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 7 Jun 1920 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 7 Nov 2007
10. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 24 Oct 1921 State Where Number was Issued: Rhode Island Death: Sep 1976
11. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 7 Jan 1921 State Where Number was Issued: Wisconsin Death: 15 Jul 1995
12. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 9 Feb 1921 State Where Number was Issued: Pennsylvania Death: 11 May 2008
13. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 16 Jan 1922 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 24 May 1996
14. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 15 Sep 1922 State Where Number was Issued: Washington Death: 2 Aug 2003
15. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 12 Feb 1922 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 27 Oct 2005
16. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 17 May 1923 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 7 Sep 1990
17. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 10 Nov 1923 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 18 Dec 1998
18. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 28 Oct 1923 State Where Number was Issued: Kansas Death: Feb 1983
19. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 19 Oct 1924 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 8 Feb 2002
20. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 14 Jun 1924 State Where Number was Issued: Minnesota Death: Jan 1973
21. Russel SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 17 Oct 1924 State Where Number was Issued: Iowa Death: Jun 1976
22. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 25 Feb 1925 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: Sep 1981
23. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 10 Jun 1925 State Where Number was Issued: California Death: 30 May 2005
24. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 13 Feb 1925 State Where Number was Issued: Massachusetts Death: 26 Mar 2007
25. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 8 Jan 1925 State Where Number was Issued: Illinois Death: 27 Jul 2007
26. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 21 Jan 1925 State Where Number was Issued: Iowa Death: 15 Jan 2008
27. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 16 Mar 1926 State Where Number was Issued: Massachusetts Death: 29 May 2000
28. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 22 Feb 1926 State Where Number was Issued: New York Death: 15 Oct 1996
29. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 24 Oct 1927 State Where Number was Issued: Connecticut Death: Nov 1967
30. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 2 Jun 1927 State Where Number was Issued: Minnesota Death: 28 May 2003
31. Russell SWANSON – U.S. Social Security Death Index
Birth: 22 Mar 1927 State Where Number was Issued: Michigan Death: 27 Feb 2004
That’s too many to check for the purposes of this exercise… So I’ll leave it to someone else who has the time and interest.
Unfortunately, The Times clips are no help on this question and without further information on Swanson’s service record, it’s difficult to do further tracking.
Time to move on. Tune in next time, when I will finally get to Bowers’ first (alleged) Hollywood encounter.
ladailymirror.com 
I’m sure the research is important to you but I have to ask what purpose does it serve? We know the book has many factual errors but the overall story is about movie stars who were gay or bi. For those of us who grew up in LA during that era none of this is a surprise. I had heard Scotty being discussed at many gatherings in West Hollywood–mainly for his dexterity in mixing drinks. As far as denying the sexual preferences of the like of Hepburn and Tracy, this only shows how powerful and long-lasting was/is the influence of MGM publicity machine. The only surprise for me was that Clifton Webb didn’t want to be seen with Scotty as people might think he (Webb) was gay!
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@Barry: The purpose is that I find it entertaining. All history is welcome at the Daily Mirror — particularly the history of people who have been marginalized and ignored by the mainstream press. But it has to be accurate history.
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Fair enough. The truth shall be known! Now I’m waiting for the dirt on Lassie…
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“Oh, Kate, Spence, Judy, Tyrone, George, Cary, Rita, Charles, Randolph, Edith, Vivien….”
So finally he’s a star–or, at least he’s in one on the cover of a cheesy book. As soon as I read about it a few months ago, I dashed over to the Strand to pick up a copy… but I decided after a few minutes’ of flipping through it that I’d rather spend the money on something–anything–else.
“…but, to be honest, what really drove me was a desire to keep people happy….” This moved me so much. I’m not sure which is funnier…the old hooker’s absurd starlet-just-arrived-in-Hollywood tone or your examination, Larry. Please continue.
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Archive.org has the 1951 L.A. directory for “Beverly Hills and all other communities in the western section of the Los Angeles extended area” but there are no Russel Swansons and no Swansons with “R” for a middle initial.
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