Jack Valenti, long time Hollywood lobbyist, dies at 85

WASHINGTON, Apr 27 (Reuters) Jack Valenti, Hollywood's emissary to Washington and the man credited with developing the US movie rating system, died today at age 85, his longtime spokesman Warren Cowan said.

Valenti served as a key aide to President Lyndon Johnson before heading the Motion Picture Association of America as the movie industry's No 1 lobbyist for 38 years.

Valenti suffered a stroke in March 2007, shortly before he was to begin promoting his memoir, ''This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood.'' REUTERS DKS BST0500