96 Years Ago
The October 2, 1930 Colorado Transcript included a small article announcing that Leo, the MGM lion, would be visiting the Golden Gem Theater on Friday October 10th. It promised that Leo would be the central figure in a parade, and that he would eat his daily meal at the Gem theater. (The Golden Gem Theater was located at 13th and Washington.)
The October 16th edition described the great cat's visit:
The procession came up Washington Avenue, headed by the School of Mines band, and followed by the two fire trucks. Then came the three huge motorized circus wagons, one containing Leo’s own silver barred, glass enclosed cage, another a calliope and the third the office of the lion’s manager. Then followed the decorated cars of the Golden business firms and many private ones.
Leo’s “performance” consisted of roaring (which one would certainly want the MGM lion to do) and eating 25 pounds of meat. According to the Transcript, “he made more noise during the eating process than a dozen careless husbands eating soup.”
