MovieChat Forums > The Next Voice You Hear... (1950) Discussion > Leo the lion doesn't roar

Leo the lion doesn't roar

posted 16 years ago by hobnob53
3 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone notice that at the start of the film, Leo the MGM lion does not roar? It's just a still of him, making no sound at all. I assume this was done to emphasize the religious theme of the picture, its dedication to peace, the lamb will lay down with the lion, and so on.

To the best of my knowledge only one other film did not show the MGM lion roaring at the start -- BEN-HUR (1959), obviously because of those same basic religious themes in that film. (I don't count "2001", since that used the MGM record label illustration of a lion at the beginning, not the usual, real lion; or MGM's silent films, where the lion is weirdly roaring away, but of course with no sound!)

EDIT nine years later: Per my own trivia entry and as I've been reminded, there is a third 1950s film where Leo doesn't roar: Westward the Women (1951).

[–] maxman-5 7 years ago

From the trivia section:

"This is apparently one of only three films in which the MGM lion is not shown roaring at the start of the opening credits, probably because of the religious theme of the film. The only other known incidence of a non-roaring lion is Ben-Hur (1959), which also has a religious theme, and Westward the Women (1951). (The studio's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) uses the illustrated lion from the MGM record label at its beginning, not a real lion, and so doesn't count.)"

[–] hobnob53 7 years ago

Yes, that was my trivia entry. Sometime after posting my OP nine years ago I realized that Westward the Women also had Leo without his roar. I didn't think to update my 2007 post, but may do so now.

[–] maxman-5 7 years ago

Do you know the reason for 'Westward the Women'? I'm not familiar with the movie but there doesn't seem to be a religious aspect.