Leo the Lion: The History of the MGM Logo Mascot

Despite changes in look and sound, an 84-year-old lion stays alive and now greets customers to the MGM Grand at Foxwoods which is connected to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT, the largest resort casino in the world. The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, which opened on May 17, 2008, includes a 30-story hotel with 825 guest rooms and suites on 26 floors, a 21,000-square-foot spa, work out facility and pool, a 4,000-seat performing arts theater named "MGM Grand Theater", a casino with 1,460 slots and 53 tables games including high-limit areas, seven restaurants and lounges, 115,000 square-feet of meeting and convention space, a full-service business center, shopping, an outdoor pool and cabanas, concierge services, valet parking, an adjacent parking garage for approximately 2,500 cars, and a connecting walking with convenient people mover to Foxwoods Resort Casino.

The top of the hotel tower has the "MGM Grand" name with the face of the lion while a store called "Grand Effects" has plush adult and child lions, both sporting a sweatshirt with the "MGM Grand at Foxwoods" logo with the stylized lion. Shopping bags and employee badges also sport the MGM logo.

MGM Grand at Foxwoods has a mechanical version of Leo with a moving head, tail, opening mouth with large teeth, and glaring red eyes sitting on a large pedestal in front of the MGM Grand Theater.

To gain enthusiasm and excitement, the facility, before its grand opening, was touted as "The Roar Next Door" to new employees and those who work at Foxwoods Resort Casino, according to U.S. Business Review, signifying the importance of the MGM lion.

According to Hollywood Lost and Found, the roaring lion underwent the second least number of changes than any other company.

The current MGM lion has had four predecessors but all were known as Leo the Lion, according to the MGM Media Center Web site.

MGM Media Center reports that the lion was based on Slats, a lion born at Dublin Zoo, Ireland in 1919 who later passed away in 1936.

The original logo, designed by Howard Dietz, was used by the Goldwyn Picture Corporation studio from 1916 to 1924 before the studio partnered with Marcus Leow's Metro Pictures, and Louis B. Mayer's Company creating the Metro Goldwyn Mayer studio, also known as MGM.

Jackie, the second lion, was depicted on Wizard of Oz in 1939 (the cowardly lion) and was the first MGM lion whose roar was heard by audiences.

MGM Media Center reports that Jackie was used as the MGM logo for all MGM films from 1928 to 1956 as well as three earlier films and was the first lion to appear in a Technicolor film in 1932.

A third lion named Tanner was used in Technicolor MGM films from 1934 to 1956.

According to Wikipedia, Tanner was used in cartoons from 1938 to 1958 and 1963 to 1967.

Tanner was used primarily for color movies and Jackie for black and white films.

Wikipedia reports that in mid-1956, a fourth unnamed lion was used until 1958.

According to the MGM Media Center, this lion had a heavier mane.

It had two versions which included the extended version and the standard version.

In the extended version the lion roared twice to the right of the screen then to the left while in the standard version where the lion roared once to the right and then once to the left.

The MGM Media Center reports that the latest lion was introduced in 1957.

According to Wikipedia, the lion had a black and white version and a color version, both lasting until 1983.

It had the standard version with the lion roaring twice, the version used by MGM today, and the extended version with the lion roaring three times.

The "stylized lion" was introduced in 1968 featuring a new logo with no roar. This version was short-lived and used only on three films.

This logo, however, was retained by the MGM Records Division, used as a secondary logo on MGM movie posters, and later used by MGM Grand Casinos.

According to the MGM Mirage Web site these casinos are located in Nevada, Mississippi, Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey.

Wikipedia states that Leo the lion was reintroduced and was used from 1983 to 1987 after MGM acquired United Artists.

In 1987, Leo's original lion roar was replaced by a remade stereophonic one to give it better quality while in 1995 it was remixed using digital technology to give the roar more muscle.

While the logo and the lion's roar were redone, Leo continues to be shown in the MGM logo to this day.

According to Film Bug, audiences can see the famous lion preceding several motion pictures in the past decade including Hannibal (2001), Legally Blonde (2001), Barbershop (2002), Die Another Day (2002), Agent Cody Banks (2003), Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003), and Soul Plane (2004).

According to about.com, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a 50-ton gold statue of Leo greets visitors as part of a $575 million renovation project that was concluded in 1999.

The MGM Grand in Las Vegas has a special lion habitat, according to the MGM Grand Web site.

The habitat is located on an 8.5-acre ranch 12 miles away from the MGM Grand and is lions are taken care of by animal handler Keith Evans.

They are on display at the MGM Grand Hotel Lobby in Las Vegas daily between 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

As for the original "Leo the Lion", according to Road Side America, there are reports that the lion is buried in Gillette, New Jersey.