Saturday with Bert Lahr

For some reason, here, today, October 10, 2026, following another lulu of a bad, very bad, not good, no bueno, no fun week in which our favorite MLB team was 10,000 miles from a winning W-L record and the playoffs, we tip our hats to an all-time favorite performer, the one, the only Bert Lahr. . . yes, star of stage, screen and radio, known for his derring-do as The Cowardly Lion, in Lay's Potato Chips ads and Waiting For Godot - THAT GUY!



Wikipedia adds "Irving Lahrheim (August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American stage and screen actor and comedian."



"He was well known for his quick-witted humor and his work in burlesque and vaudeville and on Broadway."



The gang at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog loves Bert Lahr!



Love his first appearances in movies, which featured the ultra-wacky version of Bert Lahr, not toned down in any way, as he is in FLYING HIGH!



In FLYING HIGH, he's part of an all-star cast with, among others, the brilliant comedienne Charlotte Greenwood.



He appeared in short subjects produced by Van Beuren for RKO Radio Pictures in 1933.





Bert headlined 2-reelers made in Astoria (western portion of Queens), New York for Educational Pictures, previously the producers of silents starring such great movie comedians as Lloyd "Ham" Hamilton, Lupino Lane and Al St. John.



NO MORE WEST (1934) in particular is a riot and presents that zany version of Bert.



In further Educational 2-reelers produced starring Bert, he's not anywhere near as "ngognogngognog" extreme and in this writer's opinion, not anywhere near as funny.



Still like Mr. Lahr and thank Ralph Celantano and Geno Cuddy for posting the following 1936 short subject. It's entertaining enough, but tones down Bert.



Bert rocks the house with none other than Bette Davis in the "Jealousy" sketch from the 1952 Broadway show, "Two's Company," telecast on The Hollywood Palace on February 20, 1965. Thanks, Bette and Bert!



Here's Bert on OMNIBUS.



And with Jimmy Durante on The Tyrone Power Show!



Remember seeing Bert's memorable guest appearance on The Red Skelton Show way back when.



Between appearances performing in musical theatre on prime time television (Cole Porter's Lets Face It) and such Broadway shows as The Fantasticks, Bert starred in numerous TV commercials.

He made many terrific ads, quite a few for Lay's Potato Chips.









In the 1940's, Terry Toons created a Bert Lahr lion character, enhanced by the imaginative and super-rubbery animation of Jim Tyer.



How do we finish this tribute? With Bert Lahr bringing his comedy to radio on The Fred Allen Show?



No, we finish with a classic commercial featuring Bert as the Blatz Beer sphinx!