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Article: Charlatans and Fraudsters
Oric Bovar — The False Messiah
ORIC BOVAR (1917–1977)
Over the years, there have been many “false messiahs” and cult leaders, but one of the most charismatic was an astrologer and self-proclaimed mystic named Oric Bovar.
Bovar, according to a U.S. passport he carried, was born Richard Deane in 1918. His closest disciples said that, as a young man, he had come from the Midwest to New York seeking an acting career. He had a few Hollywood roles and a few bit parts on Broadway but ultimately, he was not overly successful. Swamp Woman (1941) was probably his biggest movie role.
According to Tod Jackson, a writer and one of his chief lieutenants, “He had an intense ego that was not satisfied by his life or his career.”
He first changed his name to Rico Bravo and then later turned it into the anagram of Oric Bovar. Just exactly why he did this is unclear.
Bovar’s teaching at first seemed quite moral, and his incredibly accurate astrological predictions, along with his promotion of clean living, with strict warnings against the evils of smoking, drugs, drinking, and extramarital sex, helped attract followers.
During the 1970s, Bovar established a flock of around 200 devoted (but gullible) disciples. This…
