Constance Falk

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Constance Falk
Falk Connie-1946-oil.jpg
The Girl in Red by Fred Wallace
Biographical information
Born: February 16, 1925
Died: December 5, 2008
Nationality: Mini usa.gif American
Occupation:
Website:


Constance Falk (born Lilienthal) was the second wife of Lee Falk from 1946 until 1954.

Biography

Constance J. (Connie) is the daughter of George M. Lilienthal Jnr. and Ruby Squire. She was named after her grandmother Jessie Constance Moorehead. She grew up at Elm Street farm in Ohio, near Duncan Falls, nearby Philo and Zanesville.

She graduated of Lash High School in 1942 and attended at New York Academy of Dramatic Art. She studied voice with Polanski of New York and later with Ruth Streeter of Boston. In 1945 she was subject of an oil portrait by Fred Wallace of Boston and started her career as an actress in the Cambridge Summer Theatre resident company. Under the stage name of "Constance Moorehead" she acted in several plays in the Boston area in the following years.

She and Lee Falk married on August 3, 1946, in the Falk summer home in 20 Berkley street (Cambridge) and rev. Leonard Clough officiated. She wore a white satin gown made princess style with a low scalloped neckline, a short train and long sleeves which terminated in points over the hands. She wore a tulle crown with an elbow lenght illusion veil and carried a bouquet og white srchids, stephanotis, orange blossom and sweet peas. Her attendant was Miss Dana Linn of Zanesville, Alan Cranston of Washington D.C. was best man. In addition Miss Jane M. Squire, Mrs Cranston, Mr and Mrs Lilienthal, Berth Lahn and Roger Pryor witnessed the cermony. After the reception the couple left by plane for a weeks honeymoon.

Their first child, Diane, was born in 1947 and their son Conley was born in 1951. In 1953 she also completed a radio show for Marlene Dietrich's "Time for Love" program and a film with Ralph Bellamy for television's "Man Against Crime" series. Lee Falk and Constance were divorced in 1954 and Constance later remarried with James G Hilton.

Behind the scenes

Constance has been used as name for characters in both The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician strips:

Year Daily/Sunday Title Comments
1946 The Phantom: Daily "Queen Asta of Trondelay" as Connie Moore 1947 Mandrake the Magician: Daily "HRH Cuddles" as Connie, King Segrid's wife.
1947 The Phantom: Daily "The Devil Road" as Connie Dove
1949 Mandrake the Magician: Daily "Mystery at the Bar-J Ranch" Janet is Narda's aunt, Janet Squire it the aunt to Constance.
1950 Mandrake the Magician: Daily "The Dark One" as Connie, King Segrid's wife.
1950 The Phantom: Daily "The White Monkey" name of the ship, Connie M
1952 Mandrake the Magician: Daily "The Mysterious Phone Booth" as Connie, friend of Narda.
1956 Mandrake the Magician: Sunday "The Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest" as Constanze of Elm
1958 The Phantom: Daily "The Two Signs" as Connie Carlyle, née Abbot

References

  • ancestry.com; U.S. Federal Census 1930 & 1940; Yearbook Lash High Schooll 1942; Passenger Lists
  • The Zanesville Signal: 1941-1954
  • The Harvard Crimson; Playgoer articles
  • Billboard magazines 1940-1946

See also

Spotlight on Lee Falk - The Theatre Years