Encounter 'Leo the Fortunate'—the MGM Lion Who Defied Death Six Times

Encounter "Leo the Fortunate" - the MGM Lion Who Defied Death Six Times

When envisioning film studio intros, certain iconic images might pop into your mind – Disney's enchanted castle, Paramount's magnificent mountain, and 20th Century Fox's melodic trumpets. Yet, arguably the most recognizable among them all is Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's (MGM) iconic symbol, "Leo the Lion," and his intimidating growl.

If you've watched any MGM movies since 2021, you'd have noticed a transformation in Leo the lion's introduction. Gone are the days of the genuine lion's roar; now, thanks to computer-generated imagery, Leo's introduction has been digitally remastered. However, till 2021, this wasn't the case. There were no CGI, VFX, or SFX; just a real lion, roaring with fierceness and confidence, staring intensely into the camera lens.

It's worth mentioning that Leo didn't share his role alone. Over a span of 33 years, MGM employed and trained eight lions to represent their brand. Among these, one lion stood out; he was known as "Leo the Lucky." However, this story isn't about Leo; it's about Jackie.

Jackie: The Second MGM Lion, the First to Roar Loudly

The first MGM lion, Slats, was born in 1919 at Dublin Zoo and featured in MGM's earliest introductions. Unlike his successors, Slats kept his roar to himself; his screen presence consisted of mere head turns and glances. After retiring in 1928, Slats enjoyed a peaceful retirement, living till the age of 17.

Naturally, MGM required a replacement, and they hired Jackie. Born in the Nubian Desert of Sudan in 1915, Jackie joined MGM as their second lion at the age of 13. Although he shared the same appearance as Slats, Jackie's on-screen debut was far from similar; he delivered MGM's first full-throated roar. Despite some hiccups and spoiled microphones, the result was groundbreaking – Jackie's roar became synonymous with MGM's distinctive brand.

Training a lion to cooperate with humans isn't an easy feat given their wild instincts. Despite lions' reputation for exhibiting cooperation within their prides, according to research from Animal Cognition, this rarely extends to humans. Consequently, when MGM chose a lion as their mascot, they had to devise creative training methods. But for Jackie's trainer, Melvin Koontz, it was less about training and more about play.

Koontz, one of Hollywood's "ace animal trainers," adopted Jackie as a newborn cub. Over the years, Jackie and Koontz formed a renowned duo recognized for their playful and affectionate bond, even before Jackie became a star.

In Koontz's book, Wild Animal Actors, he shares how their collaborative relationship came to be: "Our audience often perceives us as just playing, and we certainly are. I didn't teach Jackie to perform any of the stunts. He developed his skills from our play sessions."

Jackie's Six close Encounters with Death

The loving, playful approach that Koontz and MGM adopted for training Jackie, as well as his predecessors and successors, allowed him to lead a long and happy life. Despite this, Jackie's life was far from mundane. In fact, he earned his nickname "Leo the Lucky" after surviving six brushes with death, each more improbable than the last.

Given Jackie's immense popularity, he often needed to travel, whether for promotional events or movie shoots – via cars, trains, boats, and planes. Literally, this put Jackie in countless hazardous positions.

Somehow, he ended up in two train derailments, a sinking ship, explosions at filming sets, and even survived the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Although these incidents weren't extensively documented, his most famous encounter with death occurred in September 1927.

According to Brace for Impact: Air Crashes and Aviation Safety, Jackie and the pilot were booked for a publicity stunt involving a special airplane with a cage behind the pilot's seat, labeled "Leo the Flying Lion." Sadly, the plane crashed-landed in the Arizona desert on its way to New York from San Diego. Despite the crash, both the pilot, Martin Jenson, and Jackie survived the ordeal.

Jenson had to leave Jackie in his cage to embark on a lengthy hike to find help. He brought along limited supplies – just a few water bottles and sandwiches. After four days of trekking through the desert, Jenson finally managed to contact MGM and sought help in locating Jackie and the airplane wreckage.

Despite Jackie's status as the king of the jungle, surviving in such harsh conditions wasn't easy for him. Jackie's situation was far from natural.

Wild-released lions encounter numerous hurdles, as they find it difficult to thrive sans the assistance of their keepers.

Brought up in confinement, Jackie's existence was centered around the regular provision of sustenance, hydration, shelter, and entertainment—contrasting with the survival skills typically honed in the wild. For a lion who had grown accustomed to round-the-clock human attention, spending four days in the scorching Arizona desert, surviving solely on sandwiches and water, was nothing short of remarkable.

His endurance could only be credited to the innate will to persevere, even under uncharted and unforgiving circumstances—perhaps also aiding was the tender care he received. His connection with Koontz and the nurturing training tactics employed by MGM surely contributed to his unyielding determination to live. Jackie lived an extraordinary 20 years, a lifetime for a lion, especially one in captivity.

Jackie's moniker, Leo the Fortunate, encapsulates a lion who depleted six out of his nine lives, while also embodying an enduring symbol of resilience and tenacity. Today, he remains one of the most renowned cultural symbol, and his influence is bound to endure through generations.

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Despite facing numerous life-threatening situations, including two train derailments, a sinking ship, and surviving the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, the famous MGM lion, Jackie, earned the nickname 'Leo the Lucky.'
Melvin Koontz, an 'ace animal trainer,' adopted Jackie as a newborn cub and trained him using playful methods, which enabled Jackie to deliver MGM's first full-throated roar and formed a renowned duo with him.
In the Animal Cognition research, it was mentioned that lions rarely extend cooperation to humans, making it challenging for MGM to choose a lion as their mascot and train it.
In a publicity stunt, Jackie and the pilot, Martin Jenson, were involved in a plane crash in the Arizona desert in 1927, which marked one of Jackie's six close encounters with death.
Jackie, the African lion, survived for 20 years in captivity due to the regular provision of sustenance, hydration, shelter, entertainment, and the tender care he received, especially from Melvin Koontz.