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Lion's Roar, a deluxe soft cover trade magazine printed by MGM from 1941 to 1947 (sometimes monthly and sometimes bi-monthly) to promote their "current" movies and stars. This was at the time when MGM was far and away the leading studio in Hollywood, and where other studios made similar publications once each year (referred to as "campaign books" or "studio yearbooks"), MGM spent the extra money to do this publication either every month or every two months! Because each Lion's Roar issue was published so frequently, each issue could focus on just those movies that MGM was releasing during that month or two, which meant that instead of devoting just one or two pages to each movie, they would devote 5, 10, or even 20 pages to a single feature! Each issue was an over-sized deluxe trade magazine with varying numbers of pages, but each issue always contains much art, photos, and written information that can't be found anywhere else, and I don't know if very much of it at all is available anywhere! Most issues were at least 100 pages, and many had a few color pages (sometimes elaborate fold-outs), but always a large number of black and white illustrations and photos throughout. Because this was the time that Al Hirschfeld and Jacques Kapralik were quite active in creating artwork for MGM, many issues have art by one or both of these great illustrators. While each issue had many articles about the current MGM feature movies and stars, every issue also had a section about the current MGM shorts and cartoons (which at that time included ones made by the great Tex Avery)! These magazines (like studio yearbooks) are quite rare, and are rarely offered for sale or auction! Note that until 1941, MGM, like the other studios, had in past years made annual "campaign books", which presented an overview of their films for the coming year. However, in 1941, they started a bi-monthly (sometimes monthly) publication called "Lion's Roar", which measured 11 1/4" x 14", and each issue was a square-bound softcover book, telling about "what was new" at MGM in that past month! The first issue was 40 pages, but the page count grew over the next few years. The publication continued until the Spring of 1947, and MGM published a total of 32 different issues, plus three very rare "supplements" (which measured the same size, but only had a small number of pages, because they were added information to the issue that had already gone to press).

Artist: Jacques Kapralik

Important Added Info: Note that until 1941, MGM, like the other studios, had in past years made annual "campaign books", which presented an overview of their films for the coming year. However, in 1941, they started a bi-monthly (sometimes monthly) publication called "Lion's Roar", which measured 11 1/4" x 14", and each issue was a square-bound softcover book, telling about "what was new" at MGM in that past month! The first issue was 40 pages, but the page count grew over the next few years. The publication continued until the Spring of 1947, and MGM published a total of 32 different issues, plus three very rare "supplements" (which measured the same size, but only had a small number of pages, because they were added information to the issue that had already gone to press).

Note that we have provided a picture of the front cover of the magazine, and also pictures of many interior two-page spreads (but we didn't make much effort to find the best ones!). Please look all of them over to see what movies and stars were profiled in this issue. These images should also greatly help you judge the overall condition of the magazine. Please know that these magazines are sealed in bags and are ready for shipping, and we cannot answer any questions about them or look through them for you, so please bid (or do not bid) based on the images we have provided.

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