The lion who roared before MGM movies once survived a plane crash. In 1927, the studio put Jackie in a cage behind the pilot of a small plane bound for New York. It went down in the Arizona backcountry, and both survived. Pilot Martin Jensen left Jackie his sandwiches, milk and water and walked four days to a ranch. When he finally reached a phone, MGM's first question was, "How's the lion?"
The MGM Lion Survived a Plane Crash
In September 1927, MGM loaded its lion Jackie into a cage behind the cockpit of a modified Ryan Brougham in San Diego and sent him toward New York. The plane never got there. It came down in the Arizona backcountry, and both the pilot and the lion survived.
A Publicity Stunt With a Lion in the Back
MGM wanted a stunt that would put its lion in the headlines. It hired Martin Jensen, a pilot who had recently finished second in the Dole Air Derby, the 1927 race from California to Hawaii.
The plane was a Ryan B-1 Brougham rebuilt for the job, with a cage built in for the lion. Jensen left San Diego on September 16, 1927, aiming to fly non-stop to New York City.
Down in the Arizona Backcountry
Jensen ran into a storm over Arizona and crashed into a small stand of trees in a desert canyon. Neither he nor Jackie was hurt.
Accounts differ on exactly where he came down. Some place it near Payson below the Mogollon Rim, and the canyon is now said to carry the name Leo Canyon. All of them agree it was rough country far from any road.
Four Days on Foot
Jensen left the lion the sandwiches, milk and water from the plane and set off across the desert alone. After four days, he found a small ranch. Some retellings say three days, but the account from Jensen's own papers says four.
Ranch hands took him to a ranger station, where the ranger first refused to let him use the phone because the line had to stay open for search parties. Once Jensen proved who he was, he called MGM.
The studio's reply was not about the pilot or the plane. It was "How's the lion?" Jensen was told to spare no expense in getting Jackie out alive.
The Lion Comes Out Alive
Within two days, with help from local ranch hands, Jackie was retrieved safely. He finished the trip to New York by truck instead of by air.
Jackie's roar was recorded in December 1928 for the opening of MGM's sound films, on a sound stage built around his cage. The lion in today's computer-made MGM logo is based on a later lion named Leo, but the roar that opened MGM's first sound films belonged to the one that survived an Arizona crash.
Enjoyed this fact?
Be the first to love this
Get a new fact every morning.
A fascinating fact in your inbox every morning. Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the MGM lion really survive a plane crash?
Who was the pilot of the MGM lion plane?
How did the MGM lion survive after the crash?
Which MGM lion is in the logo today?
Verified Fact
Verified Oct 15, 2026 · 3 sources checked
Source: American Heritage Center, University of WyomingShow verification details
Claims checked
- MGM sent the lion Jackie from San Diego toward New York in a plane on September 16, 1927
- Pilot Martin Jensen, second in the Dole Air Derby, flew it
- The plane crashed in the Arizona backcountry and both survived
- Jensen left the lion sandwiches, milk and water and walked four days (some retellings say three)
- MGM's first question on the phone was "How's the lion?"
- Jackie was the first MGM lion heard roaring before the studio's films, from 1928 (White Shadows in the South Seas) to 1956, so "the lion who roared before MGM movies" fits him
Sources: American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming, True West Magazine, Only In Your State
Related Topics
More from Entertainment
View all Entertainment →
