The MGM Lion Killed Its Trainer the Day After Filming

The iconic roar that opens countless classic films has long been dogged by a grim urban legend. The story claims that the original lion mauled and killed its trainer and assistants the day after filming its famous segment. This persistent myth, often attached to the first lion, Slats, is entirely false. Slats, who was actually silent for his 1928 logo appearance, was known for his gentle temperament. He was trained by Volney Phifer, with whom he had a close bond, and lived to a ripe old age, passing away peacefully in 1936.

While that gruesome tale is pure fiction, the life of a later MGM lion was marked by a genuinely harrowing event. The final and most famous lion, whose legal name was Leo, served as the studio's mascot from 1957 into the 2020s. To promote MGM's pictures, Leo was flown across the country for publicity appearances. During one such trip, the small plane carrying him and his trainer crashed shortly after takeoff in Tennessee. The pilot was tragically killed, but both the trainer and Leo survived the ordeal. The resilient lion was found dazed but unharmed, reportedly subsisting on sandwiches for several hours before being rescued and returned safely to his animal ranch.