Now & Then: Hollywood’s famous lion came to Sonora

South Washington Street in downtown Sonora was jammed with people on June 25, 1930, hoping to catch a glimpse of Leo, the Nubian lion famous for appearing in the opening logo of films produced by Metro-goldwyn-mayer.

Born around 1915, Leo was captured at a year old and brought to the United States, where he was acquired by MGM. At first used in silent movies, he soon became the Hollywood film studio’s mascot and living trademark.

Leo began a world tour in 1928 that was to last five years. By today’s standards, it would be considered animal cruelty, but at this time it was seen as a thrilling way for people to see the lion up close. Very few seemed to consider the needs or comfort of Leo.

Leo was an honorary life member of the Lions Club of Los Angeles, and Lions Clubs throughout the United States sponsored his appearances on the tour.

Leo had a magnificent red and gilt cage which was mounted on a Reo truck. Leo’s traveling home was 24 feet long overall. The interior was divided into three compartments. The cage was 15 feet long by 6 feet wide and 6 feet, 3 inches high. It was reported that every sanitary precaution for the conveyance of Leo was provided.

To further protect Leo from the elements, heavy indestructible plate glass extended from the floor to two-thirds the height of the cage. In order to make the riding qualities of the truck as perfect as possible, it was fitted with pneumatic shock absorbers, pneumatic tires and special springs so that even over rough roads Leo would experience no discomforts. Each compartment of the truck was electrically lighted in order to give the thousands of evening visitors a perfect view of his royal majesty.

Leo was scheduled to be in Sonora at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 1930. His “palace car” would be located in front of the Star Theatre, where the Bank of America building at 180 S. Washington St. is today.

At their luncheon meeting that day, the Sonora Lions Club unanimously elected Leo an honorary life member of the club. It appears that all of the Lions Club on the tour did the same thing.

After their meeting, the Sonora Lions Club members formed an automobile caravan and escorted Leo from the city limits to the theater. The crowd filled the street so completely that traffic had to be diverted around the block.

At the theater, Leo was introduced to the crowd. His trainer, Volney Phifer, then put Leo through some of his stunts. Members of the Lions Club had their pictures taken in front of Leo’s cage.

After his short stop in Sonora, Leo headed toward San Francisco, where he was to arrive on Friday morning. He was to be greeted by Mayor James Rolph Jr. at 9 a.m. on the steps of the city hall.

Although it must have been exciting to see the beautiful animal, the Iola, Kansas Register of Oct. 27, 1930, probably had it right when it wrote after Leo’s visit: “But Leo, for all his high and mightiness, is a pathetic figure. He has no business living in a cage. And when he roars one wonders if Leo realizes that his call cannot be answered. In his simple beast’s mind, he probably doesn’t, for he keeps staring through the crowd at something in the far distance which is not there. He waits awhile and roars again, uselessly.”

Leo died from heart disease on Feb. 25, 1935, in his cage at the Philadelphia Zoo. Apparently, he was still owned by MGM, and they paid to have him taken care of by the zoo.

Newspapers throughout the United States covered Leo’s tour. The majority of information for this article is from the June 21, 1930 Union Democrat.

Courtesy photo /Tuolumne County Historical Society P39454 Leo, the MGM lion, makes a stop at the Startheatre in downtown Sonora on June 25, 1930. Local film historian Leonard Ruoff remarked of the visit, “Leo was a big furry lion who mostly laid around.they would prod him to make his roar and walk around. Leo had a regular eating schedule, so it wasn’t necessarily in front of people. Leo’s cage was red with gold lettering. Henry Ruoff was instrumental in having Leo come to Sonora, as he was in the Lions Club and also the president of the Sonora Motion Picture Association. Leo was made an honorary member of the Sonora Lions Club. Volney Phifer, Leo’s trainer, is probably the man third from the left.there was some type of platform on the sides, like a running board, that they could use to take care of Leo and the vehicle.”