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Lisa Janti

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Lisa Janti
Janti in an episode of The Public Defender (1955)
Born
Irena Ludmila Vladimirovna Augustynowic

(1933-07-05)July 5, 1933
Warsaw, Poland
DiedMarch 7, 2023(2023-03-07) (aged 89)
Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Other namesLisa Montell
Occupation(s)Actress, author
Years active1955–1988
SpouseAzemat Janti/David Janti (divorced)
Children1

Lisa Janti (born Irena Ludmila Vladimirovna Augustynowic; July 5, 1933 – March 7, 2023), known as Lisa Montell during her early film career, was an American actress, author and activist. She appeared in Hollywood films during the 1950 and 1980s, also pursuing a parallel career of advocacy and service to disadvantaged groups and to her adopted religion, the Baháʼí Faith.

Early life and education

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Irena Ludmila Vladimirovna Augustynowic was born in Warsaw, Poland on July 5, 1933.[1] Of Russian and Polish descent, her family fled Poland before World War II. On arrival in New York they changed their last name to Montwill so she grew up Irene Montwill.[1] They lived in New York and Irene attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and transferred to High School of Performing Arts after it opened in 1948, where she became involved with acting.[2]

Her family moved her senior year in high school to Fort Pierce, Florida where she graduated from St. Lucie High School, prior to taking courses at the University of Miami.[1] Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Peru where her father had a business interest.

Film and television career

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After becoming involved in English-speaking theatre, she was noticed by Hollywood producer Dick Welding, who offered her a part in Daughter of the Sun God, filmed in Peru (c. 1953) with actor William Holmes; the film was released in 1962. Shortly afterwards, her father died and the family chose to give her the opportunity of a career in Hollywood.[2]

Although most of her later career was in the Western genre, Janti would become known as the "Starlet of many faces" as she was able to portray a diverse range of ethnic roles, including Polynesian, Native American, Mexican, Burmese, French, Italian, Spanish, east Indian and Persian.[3][4][5][6] Janti was cast in films such as: Jump Into Hell (1955), Pearl of the South Pacific (1955), World Without End (1956), Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957), The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958), and She Gods of Shark Reef (1958).[7]

Her first role may have been in 1954 in the TV series The Public Defender, based on the film of the same name.[3] On television, she also appeared as "Rosa" on the TV western Cheyenne, in the episode "Border Showdown" (November 22, 1955); in Jane Wyman's Fireside Theater episode of "A Time To Live" (November 27, 1956); in the Sugarfoot episode "Guns for Big Bear" (April 15, 1958); and in the Bat Masterson episode "Pigeon and Hawk" (January 21, 1960).[8] Two years later, she was in the Combat! episode "A Day in June" (December 18, 1962).[9]

Advocacy career

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In 1956, she joined the Baháʼí Faith.[2] Janti stated that her family background included a diverse religious family history of Orthodox Russian and Islam (paternal grandmother), Catholicism (father & paternal grandfather), Protestant (mother), and Judaism (maternal grandmother). Janti herself was baptized Lutheran.[2] In addition to her diverse background she explored various religions and philosophies, including studying with Manly Palmer Hall, when she learned of the religion. She learned of the Baháʼí Faith from other actors in a workshop and in her first meeting with Baháʼís they resolved some questions she still had from her previous studies with the teaching of Progressive Revelation. In addition she had a profound personal experience affirming Baháʼu'lláh. For Janti joining the religion played a role in changing her career from an actor to a social development advocate which she felt was a more fulfilling way of serving the religion than as a celebrity.[2]

Her first public talks for the religion began by 1960.[10][11][2][12][5][6][13] She was drifting away from her acting career and began to work on several advocacy/service projects while continuing to work in the arts.[14] About 1962-3 she was a chair of Human Relations Committee of Culver City[15] and was giving talks on race unity. She also worked on Project People which she co-hosted with Tom Bradley around 1963-4 (before he became mayor of Los Angeles) on KCOP-TV,[2] was among the group addressing a panel of Hopi leaders at a World Peace Day observance[16] and gave several talks as part of World Peace Day observances in Phoenix including one in Spanish.[17]

In 1964, she spoke at a Baháʼí youth conference in Pasadena[18] as well as another talk at a Baháʼí event on race unity in Westwood.[15] In 1965, she spoke at a Temple City Baháʼí event,[19] and finally broke from acting completely.[2] She spoke at a 100th anniversary observance of the Baháʼí Faith and moved to Tucson as a director of a reading institute[20] Child Development Centers Inc.[21] After some years of volunteering at Head Start beginning in 1965 in Watts[2][22] by 1970, she had taken a position directing a Head Start program near Tucson Arizona for the Tohono O'odham on their Reservation.[2]

By this time Janti had also been chair of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Culver City and serving as a delegate to the national Baháʼí convention multiple times. She attempted to pioneer internationally to Ghana but a change in policy of the government ended her opportunity there before she could start.[2] Instead she continued her talks for the religion,[23][24] and took a position with Bradley's administration after 1973 by being a liaison with various coalitions and commissions, dealing with various poverty, elderly, art and youth programs[2] and continued advocacy through Baháʼí talks for equality for women at different conferences[25] including one highlighting the 1975 UN Women's Conference in Mexico.[26] And she served as chair of the Los Angeles Baháʼí Spiritual Assembly while honoring the educational center Plaza de la Raza with a replica of the Aztec calendar stone.[27]

By the 1980s, Janti left Tom Bradley's staff, took graduate courses, and then served on the faculty of School of Education at National University near San Diego teaching courses in holistic education based on the ANISA model.[2] She also continued to speak at Baháʼí conferences like the Oregon state women's conference,[28] served on the team commemorating Dizzy Gillespie's 50th year in music in 1985[29] and was on the team giving a "spiritual parenting" workshop at a children's conference in Pasadena in 1987.[30]

In 1992, she worked on projects for the city of Los Angeles and as executive director of U.P. Inc. founded by David Viscott.[14] From November 2000[31] to September 2001,[32] Janti worked on the Commission on Older Americans for Santa Monica. After publishing an introductory text on the religion in 2005,[33] she served as the program director of the Desert Rose Baháʼí Institute at least circa 2008-9[34] and she continued to write.[2]

Personal life

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Lisa Montell married in 1957[35] and gave birth to a daughter two years later.[1]

Death

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Janti died from heart failure and sepsis in Van Nuys, California, on March 7, 2023, at the age of 89.[1][36]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1955 Pearl of the South Pacific Momu
Jump Into Hell Jacqueline
1956 World Without End Deena
1957 Tomahawk Trail Tula (credited as Lisa Montell) Western directed by Lesley Selander
1957 Ten Thousand Bedrooms Diana Martelli
1958 The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold Paviva
She Gods of Shark Reef Mahia
1962 The Music Man Person (uncredited)

Further reading

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  • Lisa Janti (March 22, 2016). Interview with Lisa Janti Baha'i Heritage Project (Youtube). Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Baha'i Center on.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Lisa Montell Profile". Profiles. Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Warren Odess-Gillett interviews Lisa Janti". A Bahaʼi Perspective. Season 2009. April 4, 2009. Archived from the original on January 14, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Filmograph: Lisa Montell" (Press release). www.lisajanti.com. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
  4. ^ "Lisa Montell Surefire Success in Hollywood". Corpus Christi Caller Times. Vol. 25, no. 4. Corpus Christi, TX. December 5, 1954. p. 65. Retrieved August 16, 2024. Lisa Montell is a girl with a surefire formula for Hollywood success—she is pretty, shapely, young, and possesses a face that is believable as Burmese, Russian, French, Italian, Spanish— or even an American high school girl. (...)
  5. ^ a b Caputi, Jane (2004). Goddesses and Monsters: Women, Myth, Power, and Popular Culture. Popular Press. pp. 57–8. ISBN 978-0-299-19624-0.
  6. ^ a b Lombardi, Frederic (March 15, 2013). Allan Dwan and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios. McFarland. pp. 283, 284, 286, 343, 358. ISBN 978-0-7864-3485-5.
  7. ^ "Ultra-Rare! New 35mm Print! World Without End". 7th Festival of Fantasy, Horror & Science-Fiction 2007. American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
  8. ^ Television Series and Specials Scripts, 1946-1992: A Catalog of the American Radio Archives Collection. McFarland. 2009. pp. 53, 158, 297. ISBN 978-0-7864-5437-2.
  9. ^ "No title". Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963). December 18, 1962. ProQuest 182925544 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ "Mrs Janti will talk on Baha'i". Independent. Long Beach, California. October 29, 1960. p. 5.
  11. ^ "First annual observance of world peace day proclaims America's spiritual destiny: The world Peace Day panel". Baháʼí News. November 1960. p. 7.
  12. ^ Lehman, Dale E. (February 17, 2006). "Review: The New Vision. Lisa Janti". planetbahai.org. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2011.
  13. ^ Noonan, Bonnie (January 1, 2005). Women Scientists In Fifties Science Fiction Films. McFarland & Company Incorporated Pub. pp. 41, 131. ISBN 978-0-7864-2130-5.
  14. ^ a b "About the Artists". Lisa Janti Website. Lisa Janti. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
  15. ^ a b "Race Unity to be Topic of Baha'i Community" (PDF). California Eagle. June 11, 1964. p. 6.
  16. ^ "Hopi Reservation conference observes world peace day". Baháʼí News. November 1962. pp. 10–11.
  17. ^ "Wide variety of programs proclaim world peace day". Baháʼí News. November 1963. pp. 6–7.
  18. ^ "News Briefs; On the weekend of February..." Baháʼí News. May 1964. p. 12.
  19. ^ "Baha'is set fireside talk on new sects". The Arcadia Tribune. Arcadia, California. November 4, 1965. p. 35.
  20. ^ "Mrs. Janti speaker for Baha'i event". Tucson Daily Citizen. October 28, 1967. p. 10.
  21. ^ "Baha'is will honor birth of founder". Tucson Daily Citizen. Tucson, Arizona. November 9, 1968. p. 9.
  22. ^ "Art Exhibit, open house to be held Feb 28". The Gallup Independent. Gallup, New Mexico. February 26, 1970. p. 3.
  23. ^ "Art Exhibit Scheduled in ProNaf". El Paso Herald-Post. February 9, 1972. p. 30.
  24. ^ "Human Rights Day Program". Tucson Daily Citizen. December 10, 1971. p. 8.
  25. ^ "Women held 'key' to peace in world". Grand Prairie Daily News. October 24, 1975. p. 10.
  26. ^ "Women is subject of Texas conference". Baháʼí News. November 1975. p. 15.
  27. ^ "On September 16, the Baha'is of Los Angeles County..." Baháʼí News (photo caption). December 1978. p. 18.
  28. ^ "Monthly lecture series to begin". Eugene Register-Guard. October 25, 1980. p. 13.
  29. ^ "LA Baha'is honor Dizzy Gillespie". Baháʼí News. December 1985. pp. 6–7.
  30. ^ "Pasadena hosts Children's Conference". Baháʼí News. October 1987. pp. 10–11.
  31. ^ Heineman, Hannah (November 28, 2000). "Council Approves Controversial Parking Zone". Santa Monica Mirror. Archived from the original on July 17, 2001.
  32. ^ "City of Santa Monica, Regular adjourned City Council meeting agenda". Council meeting minutes. City of Santa Monica. September 11, 2001. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  33. ^ Janti, Lisa (2005). Baháʼí: The New Vision. One World Press. ISBN 978-0-9742014-5-0.
  34. ^ Desert Rose Annual Report, 2008–9
  35. ^ "Lisa Montell wed in Baha'i ceremony". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. April 1957. AP Story in The Corpus Christi Caller-Times (April 1, 1957). p. 35.
  36. ^ Barnes, Mike (May 10, 2023). "Lisa Montell, Actress in 'World Without End' and Lots of TV Westerns, Dies at 89". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
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