Bert Lahr probably didn't think he was signing up for a torture chamber when he took the role of the King of the Forest. Most of us see the Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion costume as this cuddly, nostalgic piece of cinema history that defined our childhoods. It’s iconic. It’s soft. It looks like something you’d want to hug during a thunderstorm. But for the man inside the fur, it was basically a smelly, 90-pound sweatbox that literally smelled like death by the end of production.
The reality of 1930s filmmaking was pretty brutal.
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The Gruesome Truth About That Real Lion Fur
Let's get the weirdest part out of the way first: it was real. Most modern replicas are high-end faux fur or synthetic blends, but MGM wasn't playing around in 1938. To get that specific organic movement, costume designer Adrian (Gilbert Adrian) used actual African lion skins. It wasn't just one skin, either. Because the movie was shot under the intense, blistering heat of Technicolor lights, Lahr would sweat through the hide constantly.
Imagine wearing a heavy winter coat made of thick leather and fur. Now, imagine wearing it while standing in a room that is consistently 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That was Lahr’s daily life.
By the end of a shooting day, the Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion costume would be soaking wet. We aren't talking a little damp. We’re talking "you could wring it out" wet. Because they couldn't just throw real lion pelts into a Maytag washing machine, the crew had to spend every single night placing the suit into a custom-built industrial drying bin. Some accounts from the set suggest they used a lot of Lysol and perfume to mask the stench of rotting organic matter and human perspiration. It didn't always work.
Technical Nightmare: The Face of the Lion
If the body was a furnace, the face was a prison.
The makeup was designed by Jack Dawn, a pioneer who was basically inventing prosthetic technology on the fly. He used a mix of spirit gum and rubber bits to transform Lahr’s face. It looked amazing on screen, especially with those twitching whiskers, but it came at a massive cost to the actor’s ability to, well, exist.
- Lahr couldn't eat.
- Anything solid would crack the delicate facial appliances.
- He was restricted to a liquid diet of soup and milkshakes, which he had to drink through a straw.
He stayed in that makeup for 12 to 14 hours a day. Honestly, it’s a miracle he managed to deliver one of the most comedic performances in film history while effectively being starved and cooked alive. You can actually see the stiffness in his jaw during some of the "Put 'em up!" scenes. That isn't just acting choice; it's the physical limitation of the glue holding his face together.
Why the Original Suit is Worth Millions Today
You might wonder where the original Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion costume ended up. It didn't just sit in a box. In 2014, one of the primary suits used in the film sold at a Bonhams auction in New York for over $3 million.
The buyer? James Comisar. He’s a legendary collector who realized that these items are essentially the crown jewels of American pop culture. But preserving something made of real skin and hair is a nightmare. Over the decades, the oils from the hide began to break down. The "mane" started to thin. Conservationists had to step in with museum-grade techniques to ensure the Cowardly Lion didn't just disintegrate into a pile of dust.
What’s fascinating is that there wasn't just one suit. While most sources point to two main versions, different "stunt" pieces existed. But the one Lahr wore for his close-ups—the one with the soul—is the one that carries that multi-million dollar price tag. It’s a piece of DNA from a lost era of Hollywood.
Modern Recreations vs. The 1939 Original
If you're looking for a Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion costume for a play or a high-end collection today, you're looking at a completely different beast. We use foam latex now. We use high-grade synthetic furs that breathe. We have cooling vests that actors can wear underneath.
Back then? Nothing. Just raw endurance.
When you look at the craftsmanship of the original, you see the hand-sewn details that a camera in 1939 couldn't even fully capture. The way the tail was rigged with a fishing line so Lahr could wag it? Pure low-tech genius. Most modern versions use a wire frame that looks stiff, but the original had a fluidity that only comes from, well, being an actual tail at some point.
The Psychological Toll of the Mane
It’s easy to laugh at the "shleeper" and the "whishper" of the forest, but Lahr was reportedly quite miserable during the shoot. He famously quipped that "The Wizard of Oz" was the only movie where he was the only one who didn't get any credit because nobody knew what he looked like.
The costume was so heavy—about 90 pounds—that it caused him back issues for years afterward. Think about that. That's like carrying a medium-sized dog on your shoulders while singing and dancing for months.
Identifying a High-Quality Lion Costume
If you're in the market for a replica, there are a few things that separate the "party store" versions from the "collector" versions:
- The Mane Texture: Cheap versions use a flat, orange fuzz. The real deal has a multi-tonal, "crimped" look. It’s almost like a perm for a lion.
- The Nose Bridge: The 1939 design has a very specific "W" shape to the upper lip. If the mask looks too much like a generic cat, it's not a faithful Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion costume.
- The Badge of Courage: Most people forget that the badge isn't part of the costume for 90% of the movie. A truly accurate "end-of-film" replica needs the cross-shaped medal with the word "COURAGE" printed clearly in a specific serif font.
The Legacy of the King
The Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion costume stands as a testament to the "whatever it takes" attitude of early cinema. They didn't have CGI. They couldn't "fix it in post." If they wanted a lion, they went out and got a lion (or at least its skin) and put a vaudeville actor inside it.
It’s a bit macabre when you really think about it. But that's Hollywood. Behind the curtain of every magical, Technicolor dream is a lot of sweat, some very expensive real fur, and an actor who really, really wants a sandwich.
Actionable Steps for Enthusiasts
- For Historians: Visit the Smithsonian National Museum of American History if they have the costume on display (it rotates with the Ruby Slippers). Examine the stitch patterns; they are surprisingly rugged for a "dream" world.
- For Cosplayers: If you are building your own, prioritize ventilation. Use a "Power Breezer" or a small 5v fan hidden in the mane. Bert Lahr didn't have that luxury, but you do.
- For Collectors: Look for "Screen Matched" items. If you're buying a piece of memorabilia, ask for the COA (Certificate of Authenticity) and check for the specific wear patterns on the paw pads that match the 1939 film stills.
The magic of the Cowardly Lion wasn't just in the courage he found at the end of the Yellow Brick Road. It was in the fact that the man wearing the skin didn't pass out before the credits rolled.