Jack Valenti, the urbane Washington lobbyist who served as Hollywood's public face for nearly four decades and was best known for creating the film rating system, died this afternoon, according to Warren Cowan, his longtime friend and publicist for the MPAA. He was 85.

I disagreed with Jack Valenti on many levels, but he was a great American nonetheless.

Jack Valenti, 85; former Hollywood lobbyist pioneered film ratings system - Los Angeles Times