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5.1/10
Archivist John
Senior Editor
A definitive 5.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Lion's Roar remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, is The Lion's Roar worth digging up today? Well, if you're into old-school slapstick, the kind with genuine animals and pure, unadulterated chaos, then yes, absolutely. If you need tight plots, clever dialogue, or a story that makes any kind of logical sense, you might want to give this one a miss. It's for the Three Wise Goofs crowd, not the serious cinephile.
This is a Mack Sennett short, and it feels exactly like that. Johnny Burke's character, bless his heart, just wants to ask his girlfriend, Daphne Pollard, to marry him. The city, however, is a non-stop noise machine. Every time he tries, some new racket starts up. A streetcar, a jackhammer, a guy playing a trombone right next to his ear – you name it. It's a simple setup, but it works.
The solution? Take a drive out to the *quiet* country. Of course, this is a silent comedy, so “quiet” is relative. It's a nice thought, a romantic gesture. But then a lion, Numa, literally just walks into the frame. Not a fake one, mind you. A very large, very real lion. 🦁
That’s where the film really finds its stride, if you can call it that. The plot, already thin, just sort of gives up and lets the lion do its thing. It feels like the filmmakers just thought, "Hey, we got a lion on set, let's see what happens." And what happens is pretty funny.
There's a great bit where the lion just sort of *saunters* into their car. Like it's a taxi. Johnny Burke's face, a mix of terror and utter disbelief, is just perfect. You can almost feel him thinking, "This is not what I signed up for."
Daphne Pollard is great too. Her reactions are fantastic. She doesn't just scream; there's a definite His Wife's Friend kind of exasperation in her eyes. Like, *of course* this is happening. Her boyfriend can't even propose without a wild animal getting involved.
The lion itself is surprisingly… cooperative? Or maybe just confused. It lays down in the backseat at one point. It paws at Johnny's hat. It's less a ferocious beast and more a very large, slightly bored housecat. This makes the human reactions even funnier. They're terrified, but the lion is just vibing.
One scene, the lion is just chilling in the car, and a cop pulls them over for speeding. The cop is totally oblivious to the giant predator in the back. It’s a classic misdirection gag, and it gets a genuine chuckle. This is where the movie really shines – in these small, absurd moments.
Billy Bevan pops up too, as a traffic cop who gets tangled up in the whole mess. He's always good for a laugh, and here he gets some solid physical comedy bits, running around in circles. Vernon Dent also makes an appearance, looking suitably bewildered.
The whole thing feels very spontaneous. Like they had a script, then someone said, "Wait, we have a lion!" and everything went out the window. The edits sometimes feel a little choppy, like they were rushing to get the takes in before the animal trainer got tired. But it adds to the charm, honestly.
It’s not a film you'll analyze for its deep themes. It’s a film where a guy tries to propose, and a lion gets in the way. That's it. And sometimes, that's all you need. It’s a brief, silly escape. A real blast from the past. Just don't expect any quiet country roads if you go for a drive after watching this. You might just pick up an unexpected passenger. 🚗💨🦁
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