Scarce, uncommonly early 8x10-inch black and white matte-finish portrait by G. Maillard-Kesslere, boldly signed in white fountain pen in the early 1930s. In good condition for its age, with minor edgewear. Best known for his portrayal of the Cowadly Lion in The Wizard of Oz (1939), beloved comic character actor Bert Lahr had a long career on the Broadway and vaudeville stages, gaining popularity with his grotesque facial expressions, ad-libed one-liners, and plaintive expletive "gnaang, gnaang gnaang!" He made his starring film debut in Flying High (1931), but never truly caught on as a screen personality and rapidly returned to the stage. His lackluster film career has been attributed by some critics to his over-the-top gestures and reactions, which might have been too broad for the comparatively intimate medium of motion pictures. 

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