배우, 코미디언. 1939년 <The Wizard of Oz>에서 사자역을 맡아 출연하여 잘 알려진 배우이다.

뉴욕 출생. 1927년 브로드웨이에 <Delmars Revels>로 데뷔하였다. <Hold Everything, 1928-1929>, <Flying High, 1930>, 플로렌즈 지그펄드의 <Hot Cha!, 1932>, <The Show I On, 1936> 등의 무대에 섰다.

뮤지컬 <Two on the Aisle>, TV 버전 <Anything Goes>, 영화 <Scent of Mystery, 1960> 등에 출연하였다. 1964년 뮤지컬 <Foxy>에 출연하여 토니어워즈 남우주연상을 수상하였다.

1967년 영화 <The Night Radied Minsky’s>를 찍다가 사망하였다. 평소 폐렴을 앓고 있었으며, 암으로 발전되어 사망한 것으로 알려졌다.

그의 아들인 존 라는 아버지의 삶을 타이틀로 한 <Notes on a Cowardly Lion-The Biography of Bert Lahr>을 뉴요커 씨어터에서 공연하고 있다. 그의 딸인 제인 라는 2001년 TV 네트워크 터너 클래식 무비즈 프로그램에서 <Memories of Oz> 다큐멘터리를 찍기도 하였다.

Film <The Night They Raided Minsky's, 1968> Actor(Professor Spats)
<The Red Skelton Show, 1967> Actor(King Foul-Up I)
<Summer Fun, 1966> Actor(Henry Thompson)
<Thompson's Ghost, 1966> Actor(Henry Thompson)
<Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, 1965> Actor(Cesare)
<Hallmark Hall of Fame, 1964> Actor(Hucklebee)
<The Eleventh Hour, 1963> Actor(Go-Go Garrity)
<The Secret World of Eddie Hodges, 1960> Actor(Postman)
<Startime, 1960> Actor(Tom Hopkins)
<General Electric Theater, 1959> Actor(Mr. O'Malley)
<Rendezvous, 1958-1959> Actor(Alfie)
<Omnibus, 1956-1958> Actor(Androcles)
<The United States Steel Hour, 1957> Actor(Frank Mooner)
<Kraft Television Theatre, 1957>
<The Steve Allen Show, 1957> Actor(Comedian-Skit Appearences)
<Ford Star Jubilee, 1956> Actor(Host)
<The Great Waltz, 1955> Actor(Hans Ebesteder)
<The Second Greatest Sex, 1955> Actor(Job McClure)
<The Colgate Comedy Hour, 1954> Actor(Aunt Pamela Burns)
<The Best of Broadway, 1954> Actor(Banjo)
<Rose Marie, 1954> Actor(Barney McCorkle)
<Musical Comedy Time, 1951> Actor('Rusty' Krause)
<Mr. Universe, 1951> Actor(Joe Pulaski)
<The Prudential Family Playhouse, 1951> Actor
<Always Leave Them Laughing, 1949> Actor(Eddie Eagen)
<The Philco Television Playhouse, 1949> Actor(Skid)
<Meet the People, 1944> Actor(The Commander)
<Ship Ahoy, 1942> Actor(Skip Owens)
<Sing Your Worries Away, 1942> Actor(Clarence 'Chow' Brewster)
<The Wizard of Oz, 1939> Actor(Zeke, The Cowardly Lion), Writer
<Zaza, 1938> Actor(Cascart)
<Just Around the Corner, 1938> Actor(Gus)
<Josette, 1938> Actor(Barney Barnaby)
<Love and Hisses, 1937> Actor(Sugar Boles)
<Merry Go Round of 1938, 1937> Actor(Bert)
<Montague the Magnificent, 1937>
<Off the Horses, 1937> Actor(Chester Twitt)
<Whose Baby Are You?, 1936>
<Boy, Oh Boy, 1936> Actor
<Gold Bricks, 1936> Actor(Bert)
<No More West, 1934> Actor
<Henry the Ache, 1934> Actor
<Hizzoner, 1933> Actor
<Flying High, 1931> Actor(Emil 'Rusty' Krouse)
<Faint Heart, 1929> Actor