Lisa Janti
Encyclopedia
Lisa Janti is known as Lisa Montell as a Hollywood actress of the 1950-60s, and then shifted her career to one of advocacy and service to various disadvantaged groups and to her adopted religion, the Bahá'í Faith
.
-Polish
ancestry, and 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. They lived in New York and Janti attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
but transferred to High School of Performing Arts
after it opened in 1948 where she became involved with acting. However her family moved her senior year in high school to Fort Pierce, Florida
where she graduated from St. Lucie High School
and then began taking courses in Miami University
. Shortly her family moved to Peru where her father had a business interest. 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 (though it wasn't released until 1962.) Shortly afterwards her father died and the family chose to follow the opportunity Hollywood was giving her with her career. Her first role may have been in the TV series based on the movie of the same name - The Public Defender
in 1954. Most of her later career was in the Western
genré.
In the 1956 she joined the Bahá'í Faith
. Janti states that her family background included a diverse religious family history of (father's mother) Orthodox Russian and Islam, (father & father's father) Catholicism, (mother) a Christian Protestant, and (mother's mother) Judaism, but Janti herself was baptized Lutheran. 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 Bahá'í Faith from other actors in a workshop and in her first meeting with Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'u'lláh
. 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.
She married and had a daughter, born in 1959. By 1962, uncomfortable with the trend of Hollywood movies according to her point of view and seeking to be of greater service than being a celebrity that could bring attention to causes, she was drifting away from her acting career and began to work on several advocacy/service projects while continuing to work in the arts. Among her early projects along this line is Project People which she co-hosted with Tom Bradley
around 1963-4 (before he became mayor of Los Angeles) on KCOP-TV
. She finally broke from acting after some years of volunteering at Head Start beginning in 1965 in L.A. when she took a position directing a Head Start program near Tucson Arizona for the Tohono O'odham
on their Reservation. She attempted to pioneer
internationally to Ghana but a change in policy of the government ended her opportunity there before she could start. Instead she 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. She was elected to the Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles and served as Chairperson.
During the 1980s Janti took graduate courses and served on the faculty of School of Education
at National University
near San Diego teaching courses in holistic education based on the ANISA model. In 1992, she worked on projects for the city of Los Angeles and as executive director of U.P. Inc. founded by David Viscott
. From November 2000 to September 2001, Janti worked on the Commission on Older Americans for Santa Monica
. After publishing an introductory text on the religion in 2005, most recently she's been the program director of the Desert Rose Bahá'í Institute while she continues to write.
, Ten Thousand Bedrooms
, Jump Into Hell
, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold
, World Without End.
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
.
Biography
Lisa Janti, known as Lisa Montell as a Hollywood actress of the 1950-60s, was born Irena Ludmila Vladimirovna Augustynowic of RussianRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
-Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
ancestry, and her family fled Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
before World War II. On arrival in New York they changed their last name to Montwill so she grew up Irene Montwill. They lived in New York and Janti attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts is a high school specializing in teaching visual arts and performing arts, located near Lincoln Center and the Juilliard School in the Lincoln Center district of Manhattan, on Amsterdam Avenue...
but transferred to High School of Performing Arts
High School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts, more formally known as The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, informally known as "PA", was a public alternative high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1948 through...
after it opened in 1948 where she became involved with acting. However her family moved her senior year in high school to Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
where she graduated from St. Lucie High School
St. Lucie High School
The St. Lucie High School is a historic school in Fort Pierce, Florida. It is located at 1100 Delaware Avenue. On January 26, 1984, it was added to the U.S...
and then began taking courses in Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
. Shortly her family moved to Peru where her father had a business interest. 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 (though it wasn't released until 1962.) Shortly afterwards her father died and the family chose to follow the opportunity Hollywood was giving her with her career. Her first role may have been in the TV series based on the movie of the same name - The Public Defender
The Public Defender
The Public Defender is a 1931 crime film directed by J. Walter Ruben, starring Richard Dix and featuring Boris Karloff. Rich playboy Pike Winslow dons the mantle of 'The Reckoner', a mysterious avenger, when he learns that his lady friend Barbara Gerry's father has been framed in a bank...
in 1954. Most of her later career was in the Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
genré.
In the 1956 she joined the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. Janti states that her family background included a diverse religious family history of (father's mother) Orthodox Russian and Islam, (father & father's father) Catholicism, (mother) a Christian Protestant, and (mother's mother) Judaism, but Janti herself was baptized Lutheran. In addition to her diverse background she explored various religions and philosophies including studying with Manly Palmer Hall
Manly Palmer Hall
Manly Palmer Hall was a Canadian-born author and mystic. He is perhaps most famous for his 1928 work The Secret Teachings of All Ages.-Early years:...
when she learned of the religion. She learned of the Bahá'í Faith from other actors in a workshop and in her first meeting with Bahá'ís 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 Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
. 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.
She married and had a daughter, born in 1959. By 1962, uncomfortable with the trend of Hollywood movies according to her point of view and seeking to be of greater service than being a celebrity that could bring attention to causes, she was drifting away from her acting career and began to work on several advocacy/service projects while continuing to work in the arts. Among her early projects along this line is Project People which she co-hosted with Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
around 1963-4 (before he became mayor of Los Angeles) on KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
. She finally broke from acting after some years of volunteering at Head Start beginning in 1965 in L.A. when she took a position directing a Head Start program near Tucson Arizona for the Tohono O'odham
Tohono O'odham
The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico...
on their Reservation. She attempted to pioneer
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
internationally to Ghana but a change in policy of the government ended her opportunity there before she could start. Instead she 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. She was elected to the Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles and served as Chairperson.
During the 1980s Janti took graduate courses and served on the faculty of School of Education
School of education
In the United States and Canada, a school of education is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences encompassing sociology, psychology, linguistics, economics, political science, public...
at National University
National University (California)
National University , founded in 1971, is a comprehensive, nonsectarian, independent, accredited, non-profit private university headquartered in La Jolla, California, United States, with academic degree programs offered at campuses located throughout the state, one in Henderson, Nevada, and...
near San Diego teaching courses in holistic education based on the ANISA model. In 1992, she worked on projects for the city of Los Angeles and as executive director of U.P. Inc. founded by David Viscott
David Viscott
David Viscott , was an American psychiatrist, author, businessman, and media personality. He was a graduate of Dartmouth , Tufts Medical School and taught at University Hospital in Boston. He started a private practice in psychiatry in 1968 and later moved to Los Angeles in 1979 where he was a...
. From November 2000 to September 2001, Janti worked on the Commission on Older Americans for Santa Monica
Santa Mônica
Santa Mônica is a town and municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.-References:...
. After publishing an introductory text on the religion in 2005, most recently she's been the program director of the Desert Rose Bahá'í Institute while she continues to write.
Film and television
Janti was known as the "Starlet of many faces" probably portraying more diverse ethnic roles including Polynesian, Native American, Mexican, Burmese, French, Italian, Spanish, east Indian and Persian. Among the productions Janti was cast in are She Gods of Shark ReefShe Gods of Shark Reef
She Gods of Shark Reef is a 1958 adventure film directed by Roger Corman that was filmed on location in Kaua'i.-Plot:A young and reckless criminal Jim , stows away on his brother Chris Johnston's boat after killing two men...
, Ten Thousand Bedrooms
Ten Thousand Bedrooms
Ten Thousand Bedrooms was Dean Martin's first movie in the wake of the dissolution of his partnership with Jerry Lewis in the team of Martin and Lewis....
, Jump Into Hell
Jump Into Hell
Jump into Hill is a 1955 film directed by David Butler. It stars Jacques Sernas and Kurt Kasznar.-Cast:*Jacques Sernas as Captain Guy Bertrand*Kurt Kasznar as Captain Jean Calluox*Arnold Moss as General Christian De Castries...
, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold
The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold
The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold is a Western film based on the TV show The Lone Ranger, starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels....
, World Without End.