Lisa Janti

Born in Warsaw, Poland, Lisa came to the United States with her family just before the outbreak of World War II. She grew up in New York City where she attended the acclaimed high school of Music and Art as an art major and the high school of Performing Arts as a drama major. She went on to study Liberal Arts at college before moving to Lima, Peru where she worked in her first film "Daughter of the Sun God." This led to a ten-year acting career in Hollywood under the stage name of Lisa Montell.

Tomahawk Trail (1957) - Lisa MontellLisa became known as the "Starlet of many faces". She says of her acting career that it was distinguished in two ways. First, that she probably portrayed more diverse ethnic roles than any other actress on record and, second, that she probably acted in more really silly movies than any other actress on record.

Starting with the Peruvian/Hollywood epic, "Daughter of the Sun God", which has got to be one of the worst films ever produced anywhere on the planet, Lisa went on to star, or be featured, in endless Westerns, Polynesian adventures, and Hollywood romances. Among these were the science fiction thriller, "World Without End" (So bad, it's almost "good" and has become a sort of cult classic of the "50's Films" genre) and "She Gods of Shark Reef", one of Roger Corman's earliest claims to fame.

Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957) - Lisa Montell with Dean MartinSome of the more memorable experiences included working with Robert Loggia in Walt Disney's, "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca", and with Clayton Moore in his last film, "The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold". It was all great fun! Filmograph: Lisa Montell - visit http://lisajanti.com/films.html

Lisa, now using her married name of "Janti," went on to become Executive Director of the Child Development Centers Head Start Program in Tucson, Arizona and later, a member of the Executive Staff of Los Angeles Mayor, Tom Bradley. During this time, she also served as Chairperson of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Los Angeles, C.A. Some memorable Bahá’í events occurred during this period.

During the 1980's, Lisa continued her graduate studies and was a member of the Adjunct faculty, College of Education, at National University in San Diego, teaching courses in holistic education based on the ANISA model. She also served as a consultant in both the public and private sectors on a variety of educational and governmental projects in San Diego and Los Angeles.

In 1992, Lisa was commissioned by the Cultural Affairs Dept. to develop the "Youth Arts Advocacy Program" for the City of Los Angeles as part of its Master Plan. She was awarded the highest commendation by the city as an outstanding public servant and advocate of the arts. Lisa also served as executive director of U.P. Inc., ("Urban Pride"; "Uniting People") a public benefit/non-profit Arts/Ed Organization founded by the famed media psychiatrist David Viscott, in response to the LA riots of 1992. U. P. was contracted by the City of Los Angeles to develop and administer programs for the community as part of its ARTPARTNERS program with a special focus on addressing the needs of inner-city youth.

BOOK: Bahá’í: The New Vision

What is this Faith that the great Russian writer and philosopher Leo Tolstoy referred to as “The highest and purest of religious teaching” – a Faith that the eminent British historian Arnold Toynbee compared to Christianity in the second century A.D., proposing that it could emerge as “the next great religion” with the potential of establishing a new world civilization? The author offers a fascinating picture of this emergent Faith that is captivating minds and hearts all over the planet.

“In Bahá’í: The New Vision's Lisa Janti brings us a book of intelligent foresight. She leads the reader from our world of war, poverty, and despair to a vision that emits the gleam of world peace and unity."  - Wilma Ellis, Ed.D., Former member, Continental Board of Counselors for the Americas.

“Over almost half a century Lisa Janti has dazzled audiences with her erudition and insight in hundreds of presentations about the Bahá’í Faith. Dorothy and I have had the pleasure of having Lisa give talks in our own home on many occasions. Now, in her book, Bahá’í: The New Vision, she displays the same captivating combination of sound research and skillful delivery that has made her such a successful communicator of the Bahá’í message. This book is more than just an effective introduction of the Bahá’í Faith to newcomers - although it is such. The information and inspiration contained in this volume are also valuable resources for those, whether Bahá’ís or not, who wish to expand their knowledge of the Faith and their ability to communicate its truths.”  - James Nelson, retired Judge, California Superior Court; former Presiding Judge; Los Angeles Municipal Court; served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States for 22 years, 17 as chairman.

Lisa continues to be involved in various endeavors that promote the arts and education in the Southwest and internationally. Her recent projects include collaborating with Bob Alcivar on a new CD, a second edition and audio version of her book Bahá’í: The New Vision, and preliminary work on a new book about her life. She worked as Director of the Center for Education and the Arts at the Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute in Arizona. She lives presently in Los Angeles, California.