MGM, or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is the major film studio whose logo features a roaring lion.
The emblem usually shows a lion inside a circular filmstrip, surrounded by the studio’s name and the Latin motto “Ars Gratia Artis,” meaning “Art for art’s sake.” The lion became one of the most recognizable images in cinema, appearing before generations of MGM films and becoming closely associated with the studio’s prestige-era productions.
Publicist Howard Dietz created the original lion concept in 1916 for Goldwyn Pictures, drawing inspiration from the Columbia University lion mascot. After Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was formed in 1924, the company adapted the design for its own logo. The logo was originally silent; a recorded roar was added to films in August 1928.
Several lions have appeared in MGM branding over the decades, and the company referred to many of them as Leo the Lion. The familiar film logo should not be confused with Columbia’s torch-bearing woman, Universal’s globe, or the various Fox logos.