The MGM Lion Escaped Death Like 6 Different Times
He was "the ugliest cat you had ever seen," but had "a heart of gold."
![The MGM Lion Escaped Death Like 6 Different Times](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/2/742982_320x180.jpg?v=1)
Jackie was the second of five lions used to film that iconic roar that would preface MGM's films. He was captured live in Sudan, and was trained with affection-based reinforcement, rather than the stool-and-whip charade that was so popular at the time. As such, he became very docile, even affectionate, and famously easy to work with.
He also told Death to go f* itself on at least six separate occasions.
Seriously, it's like Unbreakable if Bruce Willis played a lion, and didn't have a nemesis, because no one would dare mess with Jackie. Here's his story:
He also told Death to go f* itself on at least six separate occasions.
Seriously, it's like Unbreakable if Bruce Willis played a lion, and didn't have a nemesis, because no one would dare mess with Jackie. Here's his story:
![The famous MGM mascot is actually 5 different lions. GRATIA ARTIS ARS TRADE MARK Metra goldwyh Mayer Jackie, the second mascot, has by FAR seen the mo](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/6/742986.jpg?v=1)
![Jackie was the first to have his iconic roar recorded. It was played before MGM's first production with sound, making him instantly and outrageously p](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/4/742984.jpg?v=1)
![He was shipped all over the world for his world tour' and other press events. LEO THE M-G-M LION IS COMING TO TOWN IN PERSON! You've seen him on all](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/9/0/742990.jpg?v=1)
![Jackie survived an earthquake, a studio explosion, a sinking ship, two train wrecks, and this plane crash: CRACKED COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/5/742985.jpg?v=1)
![In 1928, The studio wanted to mimic Charles Lindbergh's recent flight across the Atlantic. LEO M.G.M. FLYING LION So they built a cage into a single-e](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/9/742989.jpg?v=1)
![Five hours into the flight, the plane crash-landed in Arizona. M.G.MLIDN](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/3/742983.jpg?v=1)
![The pilot left to find help and drum up a search POsSe Jackie survived for almost a week with nothing but some water and a few sandwiches.](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/7/742987.jpg?v=1)
![It was a publicity stunt gone horribly wrong. M.G.M. LEO FLYING LION But since Jackie survived, and no one cared about animals' rights yet, it was a h](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/8/8/742988.jpg?v=1)
![So, Jackie had a tough life. But according to trainer Melvin Koontz, he had a heart of gold. A family of stray cats once took shelter in Jackie's ca](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/pictofact/9/9/1/742991.jpg?v=1)