Slats: The Original MGM Lion

He’s tough, he’s fearsome, he’s beautiful, and you can find him in New Jersey. And no, I’m not talking about me…well, maybe a little. I’m talking about Leo the Lion, the famous roaring mascot of Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios. But this Leo…and this Leo…and this Leo…are not the same Leo. This lovable lion, like the films he appears before, is just another work of movie magic.

There have actually been at least 11 different Lions in total, all of whom wore the Leo moniker proudly. In fact, it was MGM publicist Howard Dietz who is widely considered to be the creator of Leo the Lion, as tribute to his alma mater of Columbia University and its lion mascot. The fight song, “Roar, Lion, Roar,” was his inspiration to get the actual lion to roar on camera. Dietz also wrote the motto that appears in the film ribbon above Leo’s head: Ars Gratia Artis, or “Art for Art’s Sake.”

But I want to talk about the cat that started it all: Slats. Slats was born in 1919 at the Dublin Zoo and made his first appearance before the 1924 Lon Chaney film He Who Gets Slapped. During his four year run as MGM’s prideful prince of pre-roll, he would sit majestically in the center of the logo, looking around and surveying his domain. In other words, he didn’t roar. Granted, no one could’ve heard him even if he tried—these were silent films. But once talkies took over, Slats found himself in the same position as silent film stars who couldn’t hack it in front of a microphone: he was fired.

You see, the studio wanted their lion to roar before each film—a triumphant declaration that what audiences were about to see was an MGM sound picture, and Slats had never been recorded roaring. They wanted a cat who could do more than look regal, so Slats was replaced. So his trainer, Volney Phifer, one of Hollywood’s first professional animal trainers, took him out on the road as part of MGM promotional tours. He also brought him to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

But eventually, Slats needed a more restful life for his final years. He resided on Phifer’s 27 acre farm in Gillette, New Jersey along with other show animals—including one of the chimps that played Tarzan’s pal, Cheetah. Slats passed away in the mid-1930s and his body was buried on the property. His original grave marker was nothing more than a blank block of granite, which he eventually supplemented with a white pine tree whose roots would “hold down the lion’s spirit.”

Today, Slats is visible from the main road, his final resting place clearly identifiable by the giant white pine and the lion statue in front of it. Apparently, Cheetah is also buried on the property, though I’m not sure exactly where. So the next time you’re driving through Gillette, New Jersey, keep an eye out for the lion who kicked off a century-long legacy of big cats and even bigger films.