Photo: It is difficult to trace the history of the image to a single author, as various versions of this image (or others from the same photo-session) appear to have been distributed numerous times by numerous publicity agencies. However, the earliest record of distribution of an alternate image from the same photo-session appears to have been by Bill Doll & Company for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (see bottom image of original upload) / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Bert Lahr is one of those performers who could have faded into the vaudeville footnotes, but instead landed the role of a lifetime and never let go of it. His Cowardly Lion in the 1939 Wizard of Oz is pure comic genius — that booming, self-pitying bravado, the mangled grammar, the way he could be utterly ridiculous and genuinely touching in the same breath. What I love about him is that he wasn't just a movie guy; he was a stage animal first, grinding through burlesque and vaudeville before Broadway embraced him, and he won a Tony in 1964 at nearly seventy years old, which tells you everything about his staying power. He died in 1967 before he could fully see how immortal that Lion made him, which feels genuinely unfair.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bert Lahr
- Name (Japanese)
- バート・ラー
- Reading
- ばーと・らー
- Born
- August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Goat
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- film actor / screenwriter / stage actor / voice actor / actor
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1964 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Wizard of Oz | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Bert Lahr born?
August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967.
Where is Bert Lahr from?
Bert Lahr is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Bert Lahr do?
Bert Lahr works as film actor, screenwriter, stage actor, voice actor, actor.
What is Bert Lahr known for?
Notable works include The Wizard of Oz.
Film actor — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.