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The Cowardly Lion: A Brief Biography Of Bert Lahr

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Bert Lahr was born on August 13, 1895 as Irving Lahrheim. His parents were German Jewish immigrants. Lahr grew up in the Yorkville section of Manhattan. He dropped 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 full houses, performing classic routines such as "The Song of the Woodman". Lahr had his first major success in a stage musical playing the prize fighter hero of Hold Everything! . Other musicals followed, notably Flying High, Florenz Ziegfeld Hot-Cha! and in 1936, The Show is On 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. …show more content…

Lahr was signed to play the role on July 25, 1938. He starred next to Garland, Jack Haley, Frank Morgan, Margaret Hamilton, and Bolger. Bert Lahr’s costume was composed of real lion fur and skin. The costume had been authenticated to match his that he wore in 1939. The real costume had been sold for $3 million at a New York City auction. The Cowardly Lion is the only character who sings two solo song numbers ("If I Only Had the Nerve") performed after the initial meeting with Dorothy, The Scarecrow, and The Tin Man in the forest, and "If I Were King of the Forest", performed while he and the others are awaiting their audience with the Wizard.

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