American College of Orgonomy

Film and television actor Orson Bean will serve as master of ceremonies at the October 19, 2002 premiere of Room for Happiness, the first documentary film about medical orgone therapy.

The actor is a perfect person to host the event. Since publishing Me and the Orgone in 1971, Mr. Bean has had the distinction of being the only person to write a “tell-all” book about his life-changing experience with the unique therapy pioneered by Wilhelm Reich M.D.

Speaking of the therapy from his home in Venice California, Mr. Bean says, “I’m just glad it’s being kept alive. I think it’s just a matter of time until Reich is recognized by a lot more people as the genius that he was. And the therapy is very special. For those people who are lucky enough to find someone who knows how to do it, it can change their lives.”

Mr. Bean says the therapy he had with Elsworth F. Baker, M.D. still impacts his life today. “When I sneeze, I sneeze really loudly and people say, ‘God! What was that?’ That’s one thing that came out of the therapy—everything I do is louder when I do it. And when I get anxious, I still stick my finger down my throat and gag myself, and people say, ‘What the hell is that going on?’” The actor laughs. “But that’s one of the things that Baker taught me. I don’t know all the ways that it effects my life today, but it certainly does. And every time I look up in the sky and see the little orgones dancing, it makes me smile.”

In recent years Mr. Bean has teamed up with the ACO on several projects, giving his permission for the ACO Press to re-release Me and the Orgone and to distribute an audio version of the book, which he narrates. The tapes, produced for Blackstone Audio, were recorded last fall. “I hadn’t read it in years,” the actor says. “It brought up a lot of memories, like the ozone smell in the hall outside of Baker’s apartment. “

A lot of people loved Baker and I was one of them. He was just a dear soul and he saved my life in a way, so, of course reading it again brought all of that up.”

As for his acting career, Mr. Bean and his actress wife, Alley Mills, are members of a local theater company called “The Pacific Resident Theater,” and in June were featured in a production of Chekov’s “Uncle Vanya.” Film critics praised Mr. Bean’s performance in “Being John Malkovich” which is coming out on DVD this summer. And in the fall Disney is expected to release a comedy entitled, “Frank McClusky, C.I.” in which Mr. Bean plays the villain.

Mr. Bean says he is anticipating the film premiere. “I’m looking forward to seeing people from the College again, and I think it’s wonderful that it’s being held near Ground Zero to support the rebirth of downtown.”