Lisa Montell
From Wikipedia, the free 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. Lisa Janti, known as Lisa Montell as a Hollywood actress of the 1950-60s, was born Irena Ludmila Vladimirovna Augustynowic of Russian-Polish ancestry, and her family fled to 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. 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. 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 1954 in the TV series The Public Defender, based on the film of the same name. On television she was on the Cheyenne show episode "Border Showdown" (Showdown in Paso Also) of 1955 and the 1956 Jane Wyman's Fireside Theater episode "A Time to live" and the Sugarfoot show episode "Guns for Big Bear" in 1958. In 1962 she was in Combat! episode "A Day in June". Janti was known as the "Starlet of many faces" probably portraying more diverse ethnic roles though she was Polish including Polynesian, Native American, Mexican, Burmese, French, Italian, Spanish, east Indian and Persian – roles with dubious cultural and sexist stereotypes. Among the productions Janti was cast in are She Gods of Shark Reef, Ten Thousand Bedrooms, Pearl of the South Pacific, Jump Into Hell, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold, and World Without End.
Known For
Credits
- 1962 · Combat! as Marcelle
- 1962 · The Firebrand as Clarita Vasconcelos
- 1962 · Daughter of the Sun God as Christine
- 1961 · The Long Rope as Alicia Alvarez
- 1960 · Surfside 6 as Nancy Dinato
- 1960 · Johnny Midnight as Julie Valenti
- 1959 · The Dennis O'Keefe Show as Annabella
- 1959 · One Step Beyond as Terese
- 1958 · 77 Sunset Strip as Pilar Sanchez
- 1958 · Bat Masterson as Selena Thorn
- 1958 · Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse as Simone
- 1958 · The Ann Sothern Show as Maharani
- 1958 · The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca as Anita Chavez
- 1958 · Frontier Doctor as Marguerite Lidell
- 1958 · Northwest Passage as Emily Duren
- 1958 · She Gods of Shark Reef as Mahia
- 1958 · The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold as Paviva
- 1958 · Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer as Maria Chamini
- 1957 · Colt .45 as Teresa Valdez
- 1957 · Maverick as Andalucia Rubio
- 1957 · Sugarfoot as Kenoee
- 1957 · Have Gun, Will Travel as Soledad Ortega
- 1957 · Ten Thousand Bedrooms as Diana Martelli
- 1957 · Tales of Wells Fargo as Juanita
- 1957 · Tomahawk Trail as Tula
- 1957 · The O. Henry Playhouse as Carlotta
- 1957 · Naked Paradise as Lanai
- 1956 · Wire Service as Luisa
- 1956 · Broken Arrow as Tesalbe
- 1956 · The Adventures of Jim Bowie as Lisette Rochambeau
- 1956 · Gaby as Claire
- 1956 · World Without End as Deena
- 1956 · The Wild Dakotas as Ruth Murphy
- 1955 · Matinee Theater as Yasmin
- 1955 · Cheyenne as Rosa
- 1955 · Pearl of the South Pacific as Momu
- 1955 · The Jane Wyman Show as Carmelita
- 1955 · Finger Man as Mary Smith (uncredited)
- 1955 · Daddy Long Legs as College Girl (uncredited)
- 1955 · Escape to Burma as Andora
- 1955 · Jump Into Hell as Jacqueline
- 1955 · The Millionaire as Paula Wellington
- 1954 · The Wonderful World of Disney as Anita Chavez
- 1954 · Public Defender as Bertha
- 1952 · Cavalcade of America as Frederica McLane
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Suzanne
- 1950 · The Gene Autry Show as Esther Cameron