Lee Falk, born Leon Harrison Gross was born on April 28, 1911. He was an American cartoonist, writer, theater director, and producer. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent his boyhood and his youth.
He is best known as the creator of the comic strips Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom. At the height of their popularity, these strips attracted over 100 million readers every day. Falk also wrote short stories, and he contributed to a series of paperback novels about The Phantom.
A playwright and theatrical director/producer, Falk directed actors such as Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, Chico Marx, and Ethel Waters.
