"Wizard of Oz," Cowardly Lion, Bert Lahr: Fun Facts about Him and the Home Where He Used to Live

Bert Lahr's home that was built for him is on the market for 28.5 million dollars

Bert Lahr the Wizard of Oz, 1939 MGM

Bert Lahr was born in the Yorkville part of Manhattan on August 13, 1895.  He dropped out of school at the age of 13 and had entered Vaudeville. He was married twice; his first wife had suffered severe mental illness and had to be hospitalized. He later fell in love with another woman who he had married years later. He signed the contract to play the cowardly lion on July 25, 1938 in the Wizard of Oz. The lion costume that he wore was made out of real lion fur and was extremely hot under the high voltage lighting that was used for Oz's Technicolor. Some of the lines that Mr.  Lahr said in the film were ad libbed. He was the only actor in the film who sang 2 songs. The name of the farm worker who he played in the film was, Zeke.
 Bert Lahr's son is John Lahr,  a famous theater critic in New York for the New Yorker who wrote a biography of his father, Notes on Cowardly Lion-Biography of  Bert Lahr. Also, Mr Lahr's daughter did a documentary entitled, "Memories of Oz."
that was made for Turner Classic movies.   Mr. Lahr died on December 4, 1967  while filming his last feature film, The Night They Raided Minsky's of cancer. No one knew he was sick and the production had to be filled in with a body double.  Most recently, the home in Los Angeles that Mr Lahr once owned went on the market for 28.5 Million Dollars.  The 12,000 sf house is on 1.3 acres in a gated community.  It has a media room, wet bar, tasting room, 6 bedrooms, 7 baths.  There is a second home on the property that has 2 bedroooms and 2.5 baths.