Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

Logo descriptions by Matt Williams, Kris Starring, Spidey016, Shadeed A. Kelly, Nathan B., and Logophile
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Metro Pictures Corporation

Background: Metro Pictures Corporation was founded in late 1915 by Richard A. Rowland (1880-1947) and Louis B. Mayer (1885-1957). The company started out distributing films made by Solax Studios but Mayer left soon after operations began to form his own company in 1918. Richard Rowland would continue to produce a number of films in New York City, Fort Lee, New Jersey, and in Los Angeles. In 1920, the company was purchased by Marcus Loew as a supplier of product for his theater chain.
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Goldwyn Pictures Corporation

Background: Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was founded in 1916 by Samuel Goldfish (born Schmuel Gelbfisz) in partnership with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn using an amalgamation of both surnames to create the name ("Selfish" was another option). Intrigued with the company's name, Goldfish had his name legally changed to "Samuel Goldwyn".

1st Logo
(1916-1923)

Nicknames: "The Silent/Quiet Lion" , "The Original Leo the Lion", "Slats the Lion"

Logo: We see Slats the original lion, nicknamed "Leo" by Samuel Goldwyn, in the circle of a ribbon-like filmstrips which has two filmstrips flowing out the bottom side whick looks like it's in twos. Underneath the circle is a Greek drama mask. A reef surrounds it. The circle has the phrase "ARS GRATIA ARTIS" [Latin for "Art for Art's Sake"] inscribed at the top and at the bottom is a marquee that reads "A GOLDWYN PICTURE". On the left side is the word "TRADE", and the right "MARK". The lions moves his head left to right throughout and does not roar because movies did not have sound until 1923 when the name was changed.

Trivia: The logo was designed by Howard Dietz, an advertising man and then-recent graduate of Columbia University, who would go on to hold many offices at MGM.

Variant: There was a sepia variant of the logo.

FX/SFX: Slats' head moving.

Music/Sounds: None. However, there was a fanfare that was used in one of the films.

Availability: One of the rarest logos ever. Can be seen on early Goldwyn Pictures movies, especially on Silent Sunday Nights on Turner Classic Movies.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd Logo
(1923-1924)

Logo: The ribboning and the marquee look the same as the first one, but with a different lion. The logo begins with the lion (Slats?) staring to one side, then immediately skips after a second to the lion staring at the other side, then it skips to the lion looking down, turning his head and looks at the camera. After that he roars a bit. After a second, it skips to the lion looking directly at the camera.

Variant: There is also a sepia-toned version.

FX/SFX: Asdie from the lion, there are skips throughout the logo, due to film deterioration.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare. This however appeared on Wild Oranges. Retained on TCM's Silent Sunday Nights.

Scare Factor: None.
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Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation

Background: Louis B. Mayer Pictures was formed in 1918 by Louis B. Mayer.

(1918-1924)

Logo: TBA

FX/SFX: TBA

Music/Sounds: TBA

Availability: Rare.

Scare Factor: TBA
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Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation

Background: To supply films for his theatre chain, Marcus Loew bought out Metro Pictures and Goldwyn Pictures. However because of a need to oversee his Hollywood operations, he bought out Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1924 to form MGM. Though in the early years films start out as "Louis B. Mayer Presents. A Metro-Goldwyn Picture."

(1924-1928?)

Nickname: "The Marquee", "The Lion Statue"

Logo: On a black BG, there is a marquee with torches surrounding it, similar to the MGM print logo. A statue of a lion rests on top. On the first part is "A", on the middle is "Metro Goldwyn" and on the bottom is "PICTURE" looking slightly smudged out in the center.

Trivia: This logo was used during the MGM era.

Variant: The logo has been seen in Sepia.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The closing theme.

Availability: Very rare. It's occasionally seen on Silent Sunday Nights on TCM.

Scare Factor: None, but the dark background may scare a few.
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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Inc.

Background: In 1924, Louis B. Mayer merged his company Louis B. Mayer Productions with Metro-Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (as well as with William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Pictures) to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., or simply MGM. MGM was bought on April 8, 2005, by consortium led by Sony, Comcast, and other equity partners, MGM's ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG Capital, L.P. (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20% including 45% of the total outstanding common stock of MGM Holdings), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%), and Quadrangle Group (3%). On November 2009, the consortium decided to put MGM up for sale due to financial troubles, with an initial string of bidders consisting of Time Warner, Qualia Capital, News Corporation, and Lions Gate Entertainment. A few months later, Qualia and News Corp. have dropped out of the bidding, while Len Blavatnik's Access Industries has joined the bidding. Lionsgate has dropped out of the bidding in March and Access in May, with Time Warner remaining as a top contender for MGM. Spyglass Entertainment were looking to buy MGM and lead it through bankruptcy. On November 3, 2010, MGM has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with 80% of creditors agreeing to the Spyglass Entertainment plan. The deal was completed on December 20, 2010.

1st Logo
(November 9, 1924-April 22, 1928)

Nicknames: "The Silent/Quiet Lion", "Slats the Lion", "The 1st MGM Lion"

Logo: We have a new lion named "Slats" inside a newly redone film-like ribboning logo. Slats moves his head from right to left and then looks at the camera and later looks around. On top of the circle, the phrase "ARS GRATIA ARTIS" (Latin for "Art for the Art's Sake") are inscribed on the top. The words: "TRADE," and "MARK" are surrounding the circle containing Slats. Below the logo has a marquee that reads "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer".

FX/SFX: Slats turning his head.

Music/Sounds: None or the music's intro.

Availability: So far, it has been spotted on He Who Gets Slapped and The Circle, but the other MGM films have Slats replaced by Jackie.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd Logo
(September 1, 1928-1953)

Nicknames: "Jackie the Lion", "The 1st Roaring Lion", "The 2nd MGM Lion"

Logo: A new MGM lion named "Jackie" appears in a slightly re-done film-like ribboning logo. Jackie roars three times and then looks at his trainer. The marquee "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" is seen below, the Latin phrase is inscribed on the circle and the words "TRADE" on the left and "MARK" on the right outside of the circle.

Variants:

Up until 1932, there was also an extended version where Jackie roared three times, then he looks away, then turns back to the camera and then fades out.
This logo would also appear in sepia tone.
1949: Silver Anniversary. There is a fancy napkin which reads "A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Silver Anniversary Picture". Jackie proceeds this. Seen on Adam's Rib.
In later colorized versions of the logo the ribboning is in a brownish-gold color, the reef is green, and the mask is red.
There is a variant where there is copyright information around the logo. This was seen on the Our Gang shorts "Teacher's Pet", "School's Out". and "Love Business", as well as the Laurel & Hardy short "Another Fine Mess".

Closing Variant: After the MGM merger, a variant of the Metro-Goldwyn Pictures closing logo, with the appropriate addendum, was used on the studio's end cards from 1924-1950s.

FX/SFX: Jackie roaring and turning his head.

Music/Sounds: Jackie roaring. For silent films, it's the music's intro only without Jackie roaring.

Music/Sounds Variants:

In the early variants of the logo at least three different roar variations were used, some more often than the others.
In 1932, a new roar track that used the roar of a cougar from the next logo. Used from this point on until 1956.
In the 1930s, a light fanfare composed by LeRoy Shield played under Jackie's roaring, chiefly at the beginning of the Hal Roach Studios output. In the 1940s, there was a more majestic fanfare composed by Franz Waxman heard with Jackie roaring (e.g., before The Philadelphia Story). None for the mid to later years as some had the intro music from any film playing with any Jackie roaring.
The Super 8mm version of The Wizard of Oz used Leo the Lion's roar from the 1970s.

Availability: Common. Seen on TCM, classic 1930s cartoons on Boomerang such as The Captain and the Kids and broadcasts of The Wizard of Oz on TNT, TBS, and TCM. The color variant is ultra rare and only seen on the colorized version of Babes in Toyland (1934). This logo may plaster Slats on current prints of old films.

Scare Factor: Low bordering on medium. The mask on the bottom has freaked a few out as well. Although with the music playing while the lion is roaring could tame the scare factor a little.

3rd Logo
(November 2, 1928-1932)

Nicknames: "Telly the Lion", "The 3rd MGM Lion"

Logo: Another lion named "Telly" appears in a new re-drawn film-like ribboning of the MGM logo. He is the first of the two two-strip technicolor lions. Telly appears with a longer snarl with two roaring sound effects. The usual MGM marquee is seen below.

Variants:

While the logo was made in color, there is also a black and white version on The Mysterious Island. The movie was shot in color, but only a black and white version survived.
On Crazy House (1930), the logo is in color, but has no sound.

FX/SFX: Telly snarling.

Music/Sounds: A sound of a cougar. Some movies would only have the music's intro or the music and Telly's roar.

Availability: Rare. Seen on live-action movies like The Viking (1928), The Mysterious Island (1929), and Crazy House (1930).

Scare Factor: Low to high. The mask is still freaky. Also, Telly's roar can scare slightly several viewers.

4th Logo
(1932-1935)

Nickname: "Coffee the Lion"

Logo: Another two-strip technicolor lion by the name of "Coffee" appears in a slightly re-drawn film-like ribboning and mask of the MGM logo. Coffee snarls by looking down and later roars. The Latin word is still shown inscribed on the circle. "TRADE" and "MARK" appears on different sides. The usual MGM marquee is seen below.

Variant: There is also a longer version of this logo.

FX/SFX: The snarling and roaring. The extended version has extra snarling and a brief third roar.

Music/Sounds: Just Coffee's roar.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on several MGM's short subjects in color and animated cartoons of this era by Harman-Ising on TCM and The MGM Show on Boomerang. Plus on the movie Roast Beef and Movies. The long version appears on Wild People.

Scare Factor: Medium bordering on high for the standard version and high for the long version. The mask and Coffee's roar can scare a little more people than the previous logo. Unfortunately, it would be much more scarier for the next logo you see below.

5th Logo
(June 1, 1934-1953)

Nicknames: "Tanner the Lion", "The Angry Lion"

Logo: The next lion named "Tanner" appears in this MGM logo. The Latin phrase on the circle is red, the words "TRADE" and "MARK" are yellow, the red mask and the ribboning are re-drawn slightly with the color orange on certain parts on the filmstrip ribbons. The reef is yellow and on the MGM marquee, the letters "M", "G", and "M" are red with the remaining of the letters are yellow. Tanner roars three times in this one.

Variants:

There is a longer version of this logo. Tanner would growl first, then roar three times, then Tanner would then look at the camera while having his head leaning and would growl again and the final roar with a gasp-like sound and a growl at the end.
On some early animated shorts, the logo has Coffee's roar track. On the first roar for Tanner, it's Coffee's second roar, followed by the third roar and the final roar is Coffee's growl.
1949: MGM celebrates its silver anniversary. This is basically the same as the version seen on Jackie's, but it's in color and Tanner proceeds this. Seen on In the Good Old Summertime.
This logo strangely appeared in black & white and with Jackie's roar due to a strange plastering error on a TCM Australia print of The Hucksters. Current prints of said film have Jackie.
Jackie's roar was also used on Sweethearts.

FX/SFX: Tanner roaring.

Music/Sounds: Some movies would feature Tanner's roar or Coffee's roar on animated features by MGM. Other live-action films would have the music's intro with Tanner roaring. For the long version, it's just Tanner roaring.

Availability: Common. Seen on all color live-action films, short subjects, and animated features by MGM's "Golden Age" on TCM and Boomerang. The long version is seen on Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove as Tanner made his first debut, which can be found on the DVD release of The Gay Divorcee.

Scare Factor: High for the standard version and very high bordering on nightmare for the extended version as Tanner is known as one of the scariest lions ever used. The red mask on the bottom has freaked a few out as well. Although with the music playing while the lion is roaring could tame the scare factor a little.

6th Logo
(1953-1956)

Nicknames: "Jackie the Lion II", "Tanner the Lion II"

Logo: This time, the MGM marquee has been dropped and the name "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer" has been placed on top of the logo minus the hyphens (-) in between the names. Jackie appears on black & white films and Tanner on color films. There is a Registered trademark symbol underneath the left side of the filmstrip.

Variants:

There is a short version of Jackie with the last two roars.
For the Tanner version, there are two versions. One has the ribbons in silver and the other in gold.
One movie has Tanner with Jackie's roar.
Another version appears with the gold ribbon Tanner with copyright info on either side.

FX/SFX: Jackie and Tanner roaring.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th logos.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on the MGM films during this era on TCM. The short version of Jackie is seen only on The M-G-M Parade on TCM.

Scare Factor: See the 2nd and 5th logos.

7th Logo
(1956-1958)

Nicknames: "George the Lion", "Brief Mane"

Logo: A new lion by the name of George appears in the studio's logo. The ribboning in the logo looks more stretched out than the earlier versions. The red mask below looks re-drawn and the reef looks more stretched out below. The color of the letters "M", "G", and "M" are still red but looks faded. A registered trademark symbol has been added. The first version has the lion looking at the camera, then turns away and starts roaring. The it would later look back the camera and roar again and snarl. The other would look at the camera first, then would roar and by looking up by roaring and snarl at the end.

Variants:

This logo would appear on either a blue or black background.
There is also a black & white variant.

FX/SFX: The lion roaring and snarling.

Music/Sounds: Tanner's re-dubbed roar or Tanner's roar with the music's intro.

Availability: Uncommon. Seen on MGM films during this era on TCM.

Scare Factor: Low bordering on medium, although the roar sounds a bit tamer since its a record from Tanner's roar.

8th Logo
(July 18, 1957-July 10, 1987)

Nickname: "Leo the Lion"

Logo: A new lion appears, but his real name is unknown. However to the world, he's known as "Leo". The script "Metro Goldwyn Mayer" is in a new font. The reef and the mask is re-drawn once again and the ribboning on the sides are stretched out even more. Leo roars at first, then turns his head to his right. He would roar again for the second time and look away and would do the same thing on his third roar and would look away for the final time.

Variants:

There is also black & white variant.
There's a frozen variant that's seen on Ben Hur.
By the 1970s, the logo looks a little more enhanced.
From 1983-1986 and July 10, 1987, the marquee name was altered to read "MGM/UA Entertainment Co.", following their acquisition of United Artists in 1981. Also, on UA releases of the era, this logo preceded the United Artists on-screen text. In 1986, it was reverted back to the name "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer". However, the MGM/UA variant appeared on the 1987 film O.C. and Stiggs. The film was originally made in 1985 and was shelved for two years.
Closing: At the end of every MGM/UA release, the movie's title would often appear above and below would say "DISTRIBUTED BY" or "FROM" with the MGM/UA Entertainment Co. or MGM Entertainment Co. print logo below. The Beastmaster only showed just the logo.

FX/SFX: Leo roaring.

Music/Sounds: Some movies would only have Leo's roar. Other movies would have the music's intro with the roar.

Music/Sounds Variants: Tanner's roar was used from 1957-1982. The sound used is Tanner's first roar. Though for the three-roar variant, the first roar is Tanner's second roar.

1957-1960: Leo roars three times.
1960-1987: Leo roars only twice.
There are a few variations seen on some movies with the roar. Some have Tanner's first and second roar, while a few others has that reversed.
In 1982, there is a new roar track for Leo. Leo's roar track becomes a synthesized one, which sounded more polished in theaters featuring Dolby/THX sound systems. Leo's image is unchanged. Though movie trailers have the 1960 roar.
Around 1985, the final part for the roar changes, ending with a growl (that appeared on Year of the Dragon, though a few films released that like To Live and Die in L.A. and 9 1/2 Weeks used the 1982 track. This version would begin regular use around 1986.
Brainstorm has an edited 1982 roar. The first roar is the last roar repeated two times and the last roar is the first roar.
Reckless has the growls heard between the roars muted out.
On the DVD The Beastmaster, it uses the 1995 roar. Though the stereo 2.0 track keeps the 1982 roar.

Availability: Common. Lived for 30 years. Seen on such films like Jailhouse Rock, A Christmas Story, Ben Hur, King of Kings, the 80s James Bond releases, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, among others. This logo even appears on several MGM shorts such as a few Gene Deitch's Tom & Jerry shorts among others. Though, the 1983-May 9, 1986 films by MGM are owned by Turner/Time Warner. However, for releases from May 23, 1986-July 10, 1987 that still use the MGM/UA Entertainment Co. logo that's copyrighted by MGM Entertainment Co., such as O.C. and Stiggs, the logo may be kept on some releases or the lion may be replaced with the 2001 logo of those films by MGM and United Artists using the MGM/UA logo. Your best bet would be to check MGM/UA Home Video tapes. Also, the 1960-1982 version was plastered over with the 1983-1987 version on Two Weeks in a Different Town on an international TCM airing. On the 1997 & 2000 WB DVDs of Network, the 1960 logo is plastered with the byline-less 1986 logo but keeps the original roar track, as this was likely because they used the United Artists international print that MGM plastered the UA "T" with, but used the audio from the US version (2007 WB DVD restores the original logo). This also occurs on the region 2 DVD of Tarzan, The Ape Man (where the latter situation happened).
Scare Factor: Low to medium. This lion is one of the most famous icons of the movie industry.

9th Logo
(1966-1968)

Nickname: "The Stylized Lion"

Logo: On a blue background, we see a yellow-orange outlined drawing of a lion's head in an also yellow circle. Below it, are the letters "MGM" in yellow-orange.

Trivia: This particular graphic remained in use long after it was retired as an opening logo. This was used as the print logo for MGM until at least 1982. The lion graphic then became the logo for MGM Grand for many years, and later MGM Mirage. It is not currently used.

FX/SFX: The simple fade-in and fade-out of the logo.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Very rare. It was seen only on three films: The Subject Was Roses which has been plastered with a WB shield on the DVD release, Grand Prix which is plastered with the previous logo on the DVD release and most TV airings, and the legendary Stanley Kubrick movie 2001: A Space Odyssey which has the logo edited out on most TV prints but is preserved on DVD and Blu-ray as well as some International TCM airings. This logo remained intact on video covers from early MGM/CBS releases, as well as a few theatrical trailers, such as He Knows You're Alone to name a few.

Scare Factor: None.

10th Logo
(May 23, 1974-July 4, 1975)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures -Part 1- (1974)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures -Part 2- (1974)

Nicknames: "Leo the Lion II", "Golden Anniversary"

Logo: Same as the 8th logo, but at the top, "Metro Goldwyn Mayer" in the same font as the 1957 logo is in yellowish-gold. Inside the circle has the phrase: "BEGINNING OUR NEXT 50 YEARS..." with "B" a bit bigger and stretched vertically, also in yellowish-gold as Leo roars. There would be a cross fade between the phrase and Leo. Instead of "TRADEMARK" seen on the sides of the circle, "GOLDEN" is seen on the left and "ANNIVERSARY" is seen on the right in the same color. Leo would roar again two more times.

FX/SFX: The cross-fade, and Leo roaring.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 8th logo from 1957. As a closing logo, the closing theme with the 1960 roar track was used.

Availability: Rare. Only known to be seen on That's Entertainment!, The Passenger, and Mr. Ricco.

Scare Factor: See the 8th logo.

11th Logo
(1984-1985)

Nicknames: "Leo the Lion III", "Sparkling Name", "Diamond Jubilee", "Gold Ribboning"

Logo: We have the 1957 MGM logo, but instead, the ribboning is in gold instead of white. On top of the logo has "DIAMOND JUBILEE" arched in a white font. On the circle has inscribed "METRO GOLDWYN MAYER/UNITED ARTISTS" in red instead of the usual Latin phrase. The mask is re-drawn once again and the mouth inside the mask is white and the reef surrounding the mask is not there. Below the mask has a ribboning banner that reads "ENTERTAINMENT CO." On the right side above the ribbon has a small trademark symbol "TM" and below the logo has the phrase "SIXTY YEARS OF GREAT ENTERTAINMENT" in white. Leo roars while there is a white spark on the letters "M", "E" and "J".

FX/SFX: Leo roaring.

Music/Sounds: The 1982 lion roar.

Music/Sounds Variants:

Several trailers use the 1960 MGM lion roar.
Some trailers with this logo use the 1982 roar.
Another variant has the 1960 and 1982 MGM lion roars blending in together. This is seen on 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

Availability: Rare. It's only seen on MGM releases such as Red Dawn and 2010: The Year We Make Contact to name a few. Survives on all prints of 2010 with the 1960 and 1982 roars combined, along with Garbo Talks, and That's Dancing!. Current prints of Red Dawn have the 2001 MGM and 1994 United Artists logos replacing this, while other films from the era that use this (aside from the former two mentioned) may be intact or plastered with newer logos.

Scare Factor: Low.

12th Logo
(1986-April 28, 2009)

Nicknames: "Leo the Lion IV", "Gold Ribboning II"

Logo: The logo is the same as the 1984 logo, minus the "ENTERTAINMENT CO." banner beneath the red mask. The ribbons and the company name are now golden colored and will remain this way from this point forward. The mask appears in a darker red color. Leo roars twice as usual.

Variants: There are different variants through the years:

1987-1992: There is a byline that reads "An MGM/UA Communications Company". The byline was used intermittently from 1990-1992, including the trailer from Once Upon a Crime (another version has the bylineless logo).
1986-1987, 1988, 1989-2001: The MGM/UA Communications byline isn't shown.
1994: 70th Anniversary logo; "70th ANNIVERSARY" is used. On this logo, the logo is pushed up to the top. "ANNIVERSARY" in spaced-out letters, wipes itself on the bottom of the logo, then "70th" appears. Starting with this logo, the ribbons now appear in a darker golden-brown color.
1999: 75th Anniversary logo; "75, A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE" is used. The MGM logo is once again moved up. When it begins "75" zooms back and rests. "A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE" appears. The words shine. There is a version on The World Is Not Enough without animation, except for the lion roaring, of course.
2001-: A "www.mgm.com" web address is added below the logo.

Closing Variants:

There's a white outline MGM print logo that would have the movie title (mainly those by 007) and would have the word "FROM" (for MGM releases) or "DISTRIBUTED BY" (for UA releases) below the title above the logo. Below the logo would have a byline stating: "An MGM/UA Communications Company" then later "A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Communications Company". Starting in the mid to late 90s, it would say: "DISTRIBUTED BY MGM/UA DISTRIBUTION CO." then later "DISTRIBUTED BY MGM DISTRIBUTION CO."
Another closing wouldn't have the MGM print logo seen on the end of classic movies owned by MGM. They would carry a short version of the MGM logo.
There is a short black & white version of the 1995 logo that's seen after any classic MGM-owned movie in black & white such as those by United Artists and Samuel Goldwyn Productions.

FX/SFX: Leo roaring.

Music/Sounds: Leo's roar.

1986-1994, 1998-1999: The 1985 roar.
1994-October 20, 1995: The 1982 roar, with a more raspier sound. Sound close to the 1995 roar, but not quite.
December 22, 1995-: Starting with the release of Cutthroat Island, the 1982 lion track was remixed using digital audio technology which blended many roars together.
P.I. Private Investigations and Willow have the 1982 roar.
A silent variant of the short version has been spotted.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On current prints and the DVD of Solarbabies, the 1985 roar is used on the 2001 logo. This occurrence also happened on a foreign print of Year of the Dragon (it was released by Cannon, which was bought out by MGM, in some territories) and current prints of A Dry White Season.
On the 2002 DVD of Walk Like a Man, it uses both the 1982 and 1995 roars combined.
Recent prints of Yentl have the 2001 logo with the 1982 roar, probably because the opening theme was used with the roar.
On the MGM Home Entertainement DVD release of Mr. Saturday Night, the theatrical trailer on the disc has the logo with the 1982 roar. On that trailer, it erases any Columbia references.
On trailers and TV spots up to the late 80s-early 90s, the earliest being Running Scared (1986), the 1960 roar is used.
On the 1997 MGM and 2000 WB DVDs of Network, the 1960 logo is plastered with the byline-less 1986 logo, but keeps the 1960 roar.

Availability: Common. Seen on all MGM releases of this era. The MGM/UA Communications version was seen on the original VHS and Laserdisc releases of Spaceballs, Captive Hearts and P.I. Private Investigations. The bylineless 1986 logo is seen on the original home video prints of movies such as Mindgames, Blue Steel, Quigley Down Under and Thelma and Louise. Oddly, it also appeared on 1998's An All Dogs Christmas Carol and The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue and even stranger, took the place of the MGM Home Entertainment logo on the 1999 VHS release of Black Caesar. The 1994 version is seen on the movies Clean Slate, Blown Away, and (surprisingly), the original VHS and Laserdisc of Stargate from Live Entertainment (the DVD uses the Artisan logo). It is also seen on the iTunes trailer for That's Entertainment III. The bylineless logo with the 1994 roar appeared on original prints of The Pebble and the Penguin, Fluke and Species. The 1999 75th Anniversary version is seen on The Thomas Crown Affair and pre-2006 prints of The World is Not Enough (current prints and the Bond Collection DVD and Blu-ray releases use the standard 2001 logo with the 2001 UA logo following it. Though the earlier and mid versions are usually replaced by the 2001 logo. Again, see the MGM/UA Home Video and MGM Home Entertainment tapes, along with some early DVDs from them. The silent version is seen at the end of network prints of Topkapi. On newer prints of Castle Rock/Nelson films such as When Harry Met Sally..., Lord of the Flies, Misery, and City Slickers, it replaces the Columbia Pictures logo. However, it doesn't appear on Red Dragon. This logo was used on trailers on post-2008 Sony/MGM releases up to Zookeeper, though it made its last theatrical appearance on Igor, released on September 19, 2008, made an appearance of the video game adaptation of Quantum of Solace and was finally ended on the TV movie Legally Blondes. Interestingly, the 1988 video release of Willow from RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (now "Sony Pictures Home Entertainment") retains the bylineless logo with the 1982 roar.

Scare Factor: It would possibly be a bit on the high side for those who don't like roaring lions, but low for those who are used to the roars. Nevertheless, it's popular.

13th Logo
(November 14, 2008-March 16, 2012)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Distribution (2009)

Nicknames: "Leo the Lion V", "Metallic Ribboning", "MGM 2008"

Logo: The text, ribbons, and mask along with it's reef are now all in a lighter, more metallic-looking, shade of gold. The web address below the lion now reads "MGM.COM". Leo roars twice.

Trivia: This logo was actually based off the print MGM logo that's seen on the MGM Home Entertainment/MGM DVD print logos as seen on VHS and DVD covers and other MGM merchandise.

Variants:

On closing variant and in 2009 on cable broadcasts (otherwise the MGM Television logo), there is a bright gold logo.
There is also a longer variant that is basically a 3-lion roar restoration, which will not be seen on films at all. This is only seen on certain teaser trailers.
2010-: A closing variant appears at the end of Hot Tub Time Machine, the words "DISTRIBUTED BY MGM DISTRIBUTION CO." appear in place of the URL. On a recent WGN airing of Mr. Mom, a slightly different font is used.
Starting in 2011, the logo began appearing without the URL. It first appeared on The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice in 2010. Then it made an appearance on a behind-the-scenes video of Zookeeper found on the MGM website. Then it was seen on the trailers for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 21 Jump Street and GI Joe: Retaliation. Oddly, the roar track is not used on the former two trailers, though it is heard on the latter. The logo makes its first appearance on a theatrical release with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

FX/SFX: Leo roaring.

Music/Sounds:

November 14, 2008-February 6, 2009: A new roar sound bite that also has elements of the 1995 MGM lion roar and is more powerful than its predecessor. This was also used on the trailers for Fame and Hot Tub Time Machine.
June 12, 2009-: The 1995 lion roar is used.

Music/Sounds Variants:

On current prints of Life Stinks, the 1985 roar is used with the 2009 logo.

The roar track is not heard on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Availability: Common. This logo is found Quantum of Solace, Valkyrie, The Pink Panther 2, The Taking of Pelham 123, Fame, Hot Tub TIme Machine and Zookeeper. Also, some movies owned by MGM when aired on cable and Pay TV may plaster older logos with this. On the non-US version of Valkyrie, it proceeds the 1994 20th Century Fox logo. On TV broadcasts of various MGM movies, the MGM Television logo is at the end. This can also be found on the James Bond video games Goldeneye: Reloaded and Blood Stone. The last movie to have this logo is 21 Jump Street.

Scare Factor: Low to medium. The 2008 lion roar track can throw some people off, especially if they are used to the commonly-used 1995 lion roar. The scare factor is slightly lower for the version with the 1995 roar as audiences are more familiar with it.

14th Logo
(August 8, 2012- )

Nicknames: "Leo the Lion VI", "Zooming Ribboning", "Metallic Ribboning II", "MGM 2012", "Animated Ribbon", "The Lion's Eye"

Logo: On a black background, we see flickers of light. The image pulls back to reveal that it is a pupil, a close-up of Leo's eye. We then see Leo, the ribboning, mask and the words "TRADE MARK" on both sides (from the previous logo, all in gold and metallic) ease back with the ribbons moving, as "Metro Goldwyn Mayer" appears shimmering and eases itself above the ribboning. The company name is darker and appears to have a "shining" effect applied to it. The mask is also different as well. Leo roars as this happens.

Trivia: The logo was designed by LA-based graphic design company Shine.

Variant:

On the game 007 Legends and Skyfall, the logo is darker and appears more golden. The flickers of light at the beginning are not seen.
At the end of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, the logo is still.

FX/SFX: The lion, the ribboning, the studio name.

Music/Sounds: The 1995 roar is used, along with whooshes throughout the animation and the sound of a running film projector before the lion roars. The noise dies down after the first roar. There is also an extra growling sound added after the second roar.

Music Variants:

On the Skyfall teaser trailer, there was a shortened version of the roar.
The version seen on Shine's website just has the standard 1995 roar without any additional sound effects.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (and presumably future films) has the opening theme to the film without the whooshes and projector sounds: just the roaring. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters has the opening theme of the movie with the whooshes and projector sounds and the roaring.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation has the 2008 roar track.
None for the still variant.

Availability: Common. The logo first appeared on the teaser trailer for the James Bond film Skyfall and made its first appearance on Hope Springs (albeit in a shortened version). It was also shown on Skyfall and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and is expected to appear on more of MGM's upcoming movies in 2013. It currently appears in full on Shine's website. It also appeared on Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 and can be found on the James Bond video game 007 Legends.

Scare Factor: Medium. Although this is a nice looking logo, this can still be an issue for those who can't stand roaring lions. Also first-time viewers might be startled when expecting a still logo and ending up with this. Although the whooshes and projector sounds along with the darkness of the logo can scare some, it is definitely a nice successor to the past logos!
________________________________________________________________________

Copyright Stamps: Here is some information about the copyright stamps on the MGM films:

1924-1938: Copyright © by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (or Distributing) Corporation (with the MGM secondary logo at the center). To the left of the MGM secondary logo, the text "Controlled by LOEW'S INCORPORATED" appears.

Supermarty-o	Latest page update: made by Supermarty-o , Today, 1:49 AM EDT (about this update About This Update Edited by Supermarty-o 128 words added 11 words deleted view changes - complete history)
	Keyword tags: Goldwyn Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. MGM Holdings Inc. More Info: links to this page

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Logophile

2008 three-roar on trailers

Today, 1:55 AM EDT by Supermarty-o

Thread started: May 4 2013, 5:45 AM EDT Watch

It says the 2008 three-roar version appears on certain teasers. What teasers is the logo on?

1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you?

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XthebiglogofanX

Add this to the availability of the 1957 logo

Jun 13 2013, 1:13 PM EDT by XthebiglogofanX

Thread started: Jun 13 2013, 1:13 PM EDT Watch

The logo also appeared on the VERY FIRST episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000", titled "The Green Slime" as Joel Hodgson enters the theater.

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Shadeed329

"Zookeeper" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

May 5 2013, 8:24 AM EDT by Logophile

Thread started: Feb 11 2012, 3:21 PM EST Watch

Who has "Zookeeper" on DVD or has seen "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"? Is the new MGM print logo seen at the end with additional information or no?

2008 three-roar on trailers	G2 Films	Goldwyn Entertainment Company
UA Hexagon availability	Orion Pictures	United Artists Pictures
Add this to the availability of the 1957 logo	MGM Home Entertainment	Filmways Television
MGM Kids Home Entertainment	Cannon Television	What other TV productions did Cannon produce?

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures

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