Bert Lahr

Bert Lahr
Bert Lahr, c. 1940s
Born	Irving Lahrheim (1895-08-13)August 13, 1895 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	December 4, 1967(1967-12-04) (aged 72) New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Cancer
Occupation	Actor, comedian
Years active	1925–67
Spouse(s)	Mercedes Delpino (m. 1929–1939; divorced) Mildred Schroeder (m. 1940–1967; his death)
Children	Herbert Lahr (1929-2002) John Lahr (b. 1941) Jane Lahr (b. 1943)
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Bert Lahr (born Irving Lahrheim, August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), was an American actor, particularly of stage and film, and comedian. Lahr is principally known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker Zeke, in The Wizard of Oz (1939). He was well known for his explosive humor, but also adapted well to dramatic roles and his work in burlesque, vaudeville, and on Broadway.

Lahr was born in New York City, the son of Augusta (1871-1932) and Jacob Lahrheim (1870-1947). His parents were German Jewish immigrants. Lahr grew up in the Yorkville section of Manhattan. Dropping out of school at 15 to join a juvenile vaudeville act, Lahr worked up to top billing on the Columbia Burlesque Circuit. In 1927 he debuted on Broadway in Delmar's Revels. He played to packed houses, performing classic routines such as "The Song of the Woodman" (which he reprised in the film Merry-Go-Round of 1938). Lahr had his first major success in a stage musical playing the prize fighter hero of Hold Everything! (1928–29). Other musicals followed, notably Flying High (1930), Florenz Ziegfeld's Hot-Cha! (1932) and The Show is On (1936) in which he co-starred with Beatrice Lillie. In 1939, he co-starred as Louis Blore alongside Ethel Merman in the Broadway production of DuBarry Was a Lady.

Lahr made his feature film debut in 1931's Flying High, playing the oddball aviator he had played on stage. He signed with New York-based Educational Pictures for a series of two-reel comedies. When that series ended, he went to Hollywood to work in feature films. Aside from The Wizard of Oz (1939), his movie career was limited. In the 1944 patriotic film Meet the People, Lahr uttered the phrase "Heavens to Murgatroyd!" later popularized by cartoon character Snagglepuss.