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Bert Lahr

Bert Lahr

Actor · Died December 4, 1967, aged 72 · New York City, New York, USA

Bert Lahr (born Irving Lahrheim; August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967) was an American actor and comedian. Lahr is remembered today for his roles as the Cowardly Lion and the farmworker Zeke in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, but was also well-known for work in burlesque, vaudeville, and on Broadway. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bert Lahr, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 13, 1895
Died
December 4, 1967 (aged 72)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 12% in 30 days

What are Bert Lahr's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 45th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
28%
Bonds
24%
Society
17%
Morality
16%
Ideas
11%
Power
4%
Deception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 3

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 3 of 7 analyzed roles.

Trickster
3 of 7
Ally
3 of 7
Mentor
1 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
6
Warm
3
Romantic
3
Contemplative
2
Melancholic
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Feel-good7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Bert Lahr's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Bert Lahr's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

39 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • There's No Place Like Utopia(2014)

    as Cowardly Lion

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Side of the Rainbow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as 'Zeke' (archive footage)

  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Night They Raided Minsky's(1968)

    as Professor Spats

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Summer Fun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Fantasticks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Ben Hucklebee

  • The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)

    as The Commander (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Sound of Laughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Egbert Bunting / Roland Montague

  • Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • A Tale of Old Whiff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as voice

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Tom Hopkins

  • The Great Waltz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Hans Ebesteder

  • The Second Greatest Sex(1955)

    as Job McClure

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • MGM Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Rose Marie(1954)

    as Barney McCorkle

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Anything Goes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Moonface

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. O'Malley

  • Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Show 4 episodes · Actor

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Hucklebee

  • Mister Universe(1951)

    as Joe Pulaski

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Always Leave Them Laughing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Eddie Eagen

  • The Philco Television Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1 episode · as Skid Johnson

  • Meet the People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Commander

  • Ship Ahoy(1942)

    as Skip Owens

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Sing Your Worries Away (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Clarence 'Chow' Brewster

  • The Wizard of Oz(1939)

    as Cowardly Lion / Zeke

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Zaza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Cascart

  • Just Around the Corner(1938)

    as Gus

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Josette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Barney Barnaby

  • Love and Hisses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Sugar Boles

  • Merry Go Round of 1938 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Bert

  • Whose Baby Are You? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Bert Halibut

  • Boy, Oh Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as The Butler

  • No More West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Gunpowder Bert

  • Henry the Ache (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as King Henry VIII

  • Hizzoner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Bert Lahr, Cop

  • Mr. Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Bert Lahr

  • Flying High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Emil 'Rusty' Krouse

  • Faint Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Rudolf

Career shape

Star power in the 72nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 38 titles from 1929 to 2000.

Biggest box office

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

$26M worldwide

Highest rated

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting38 of 38: 38 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score45th

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s13 · acting1940s5 · acting1950s10 · acting1960s7 · acting1970s1 · acting2000s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Bert Lahr's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

28thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 10 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

There's No Place Like Utopia (2014)

99th percentile spread · 50% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 64/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 38. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Bert Lahr work with?

People who share at least 2 of Bert Lahr's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Morgan shares the most, 2.

Actors

Editors

Producers