The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logo is one of the most recognized symbols in the history of cinema. It features a live lion roaring within a circular frame that contains the Latin phrase “Ars Gratia Artis,” which means “Art for Art’s Sake.” The original design for the logo was created in 1916 by Howard Dietz, an advertising executive who worked for Goldwyn Pictures. He chose a lion as the mascot because he wanted to honor his alma mater, Columbia University, whose athletic teams are known as the Lions. Lionel S. Reiss, an art director at Paramount Studios, refined the visual elements of the logo to create the polished look that appeared on screens for decades. Since the merger of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer’s company in 1924, seven different lions have served as the studio’s mascot.
The first lion used for the studio logo was named Slats. He was born at the Dublin Zoo in 1919 and was trained by Volney Phifer. Slats appeared in the logo for the Goldwyn Pictures era and stayed with the studio after the MGM merger until 1928. Because the films of that era were silent, Slats did not roar in the logo. Instead, he simply looked around and stayed calm within the frame. Behind-the-scenes photographs from this time show the massive camera equipment required to film a large predator. The cameras were hand-cranked and sat on heavy wooden tripods. Slats sat on a raised wooden pedestal on a quiet soundstage at the studio in Culver City. The crew used a black velvet background to make the lion stand out against the frame.
In 1928, a new lion named Jackie took over the role. Jackie was a significant part of film history because he was the first MGM lion to roar on screen. He appeared at the beginning of the film “White Shadows in the South Seas.” To capture the sound of his roar, the studio used a phonograph record. This was a complex task in the early days of sound technology. Large, heavy microphones were placed near Jackie’s pedestal to record the natural sound of his voice. Trainers used specific commands and physical movements to encourage the lion to open his mouth. Jackie was a very resilient animal who survived several accidents during his career. He survived two train wrecks, an earthquake, and even a plane crash in the Arizona wilderness. This led to his nickname “Leo the Lucky.”
The transition to color film required a new approach to the logo. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the studio experimented with two-strip Technicolor. Two different lions, named Telly and Coffee, were used during this experimental phase. Telly appeared in the first color features, while Coffee was used for the “Happy Harmonies” animated shorts. Filming in color required much more light than filming in black and white. The sets became extremely hot as massive arc lamps were pointed toward the animals. The heat made it difficult for the lions to remain active and focused. The trainers had to work quickly to capture the footage before the animals became too tired or uncomfortable.
The fifth lion, Tanner, was introduced in 1934 specifically for the full-color Technicolor era. Tanner was used on all Technicolor films and MGM cartoons, including the famous “Tom and Jerry” series. He served as the face of the studio for twenty-two years. Tanner was known for having a particularly sharp and aggressive roar. To film Tanner, the studio used a three-strip Technicolor camera, which was a giant piece of machinery that used three separate reels of film at once. The lighting was even more intense than during previous sessions. Photographers recorded the setup, showing the lion surrounded by a ring of lights and a crew of specialists. This version of the logo is often remembered as the most vibrant because of the saturated colors of the Technicolor process.
Following Tanner, a lion named George had a brief two-year career from 1956 to 1958. However, the most famous and longest-serving lion is named Leo. Leo was introduced in 1957 and has been used in various forms for fifty-seven years. Leo was purchased by the studio when he was very young. He was selected because he was smaller than the previous lions and had a very distinct, majestic mane. The footage of Leo was filmed with a wide-angle lens to give the logo a more epic feel. By the late 1950s, filming technology had improved significantly. The cameras were quieter, and the film stock was more sensitive to light, which made the process easier for both the crew and the animal.
The behind-the-scenes photography of these sessions shows the reality of working with large cats. One famous photograph features a lion tied to a pedestal while a cameraman sits just a few feet away. This photo was taken during a sound recording session to ensure the lion stayed in the correct position for the microphone. The trainers, like Volney Phifer, were always just out of the frame, holding sticks or pieces of meat to guide the lion’s attention. The studio built a temporary cage around the camera and the crew to protect them in case the lion became agitated. Despite the danger, the studio maintained a high standard of safety for the animals.
The process of creating the logo also involved the work of skilled artists and editors. Once the footage of the lion was recorded, it had to be combined with the graphic elements of the “ribbon” frame. This was done using a technique called optical printing. The editors layered the film of the lion over a hand-painted version of the logo frame. They had to ensure that the lion’s head fit perfectly within the circular opening without any gaps. The frame itself was made of several layers of film to create a sense of depth and shadow. This gave the logo its classic, three-dimensional look that made it feel like a window into the film itself.
The lions lived in a specialized ranch near the studio when they were not filming. This facility was managed by professional handlers who ensured the animals were well-fed and healthy. The studio treated these lions as major celebrities. They were often taken on tours across the country to promote new films. Jackie, the “Lucky” lion, traveled in a specially designed truck with glass windows so that fans could see him as he passed through their towns. These publicity stunts helped build the MGM brand and made the lion an inseparable part of the movie-going experience.
The evolution of the logo reflects the technological changes in the film industry. As films moved from silent to sound, and from black and white to color, the logo had to adapt to stay modern. The studio eventually created high-definition versions of the Leo the Lion footage for modern digital theaters. They cleaned up the original 1957 film to remove grain and improve the sharpness of the image. Even in the age of computer-generated effects, MGM has continued to use the real footage of Leo because of its historical value. The lions that appeared in these logos documented the growth of Hollywood from a small experimental town into a global center for entertainment. Every roar recorded on a soundstage was a technical achievement that required a mix of animal training, engineering, and artistic design.
