Where Was The First Tarzan Movie Filmed: Top

Before we dive into the location, it is crucial to identify the correct film. Many people mistakenly believe that the 1932 Tarzan the Ape Man starring Johnny Weissmuller was the first. It was not. The very first adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ iconic character was a silent film titled Tarzan of the Apes, released in 1918.

This film was a massive gamble. Burroughs’ novel (published in 1912) was wildly popular, but translating its African jungle setting to the screen in 1918 was a logistical nightmare. Filming in Africa was impossible due to cost, colonial travel restrictions, and the lingering effects of World War I. The producers needed a location that looked exactly like the Congo or Gabon—but was within a train ride of Hollywood.

That search led them to the bayous of Louisiana.

When asking about the "first Tarzan movie," it’s crucial to clarify which one you mean. While Edgar Rice Burroughs’ legendary ape-man first appeared in print in 1912, his leap to the silver screen happened twice in the silent film era.

However, most historians and film archives recognize 1918’s Tarzan of the Apes as the very first feature-length Tarzan movie. And its exotic "African" jungle wasn't filmed in Africa at all—it was shot deep in the humid swamps and woodlands of Louisiana.

So, where was the first Tarzan movie filmed? In the swampy, mossy, subtropical wilderness of Louisiana, primarily along the Teche River near Morgan City. The 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes did not go to Africa. Instead, it brought a convincing, low-budget version of Africa to the American South.

This choice, born of necessity and practicality, gave the first cinematic Tarzan an authentic, gritty, and dangerous feel—one that remains a fascinating footnote in both film history and Louisiana’s cultural heritage. The next time you watch a Tarzan movie, remember: the very first vine he swung from was likely dangling over a Louisiana bayou.

The very first Tarzan film to ever hit the big screen, the 1918 silent classic Tarzan of the Apes, was primarily filmed in the lush, moss-covered swamps of Morgan City, Louisiana. While many modern viewers associate Tarzan with Hollywood studio sets or African landscapes, this original production chose the American South for its distinctive, jungle-like vegetation and accessible infrastructure. The Surprising Birthplace: Morgan City, Louisiana

In 1917, director Scott Sidney and his crew arrived in Morgan City to begin shooting. The location was chosen for several practical and aesthetic reasons:

The Atchafalaya Basin: The vast, prehistoric-looking swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin served as a convincing stand-in for the African jungle. where was the first tarzan movie filmed top

Spanish Moss: Filmmakers utilized the region's famous moss-draped cypress trees to create an atmospheric, wild environment, even though Spanish moss is not actually found in Africa.

Lake End Park: Many of the film’s iconic "hut scenes" were shot at this waterfront site, where the production team built a primitive village of palmetto huts.

Logistics and Diversity: Morgan City offered easy rail access for heavy equipment and a local population that provided both extras and a prop shop out of a downtown hardware store. Historical Significance of the 1918 Shoot

The production of Tarzan of the Apes in Louisiana was groundbreaking for several reasons:

First Major Location Shoot: It was one of the first major U.S. motion pictures filmed on location outside of California or New York.

Box Office Milestone: It was the first silent film to earn over $1 million at the box office, becoming an overnight sensation.

Casting Breakthroughs: The film was among the first in Hollywood history where Black actors portrayed Black characters on screen, moving away from the then-standard practice of using white actors in blackface. Other Notable Early Tarzan Locations

While Morgan City holds the title for the first film, subsequent early Tarzan movies explored other "jungles":

Louisiana Tarzan - Home to the First King of the Jungle Movie Before we dive into the location, it is

The first-ever Tarzan movie, the silent film Tarzan of the Apes (1918) , was primarily filmed in and around Morgan City, Louisiana

. The lush, untamed bayous of the Atchafalaya Basin served as a convincing stand-in for the African jungle. Top Filming Locations in Morgan City Atchafalaya Basin

The primary location for the film's "jungle" scenes, chosen for its dense, moss-draped vegetation and wild waterways. Lake End Park ClosedMorgan City, LA

A scenic waterfront site (located at 2300 LA Hwy 70) used for many of the hut scenes. The crew built palmetto huts here that were famously burned for the film's climax. Shannon Hardware Morgan City Hardware store ClosedMorgan City, LA

Located in downtown Morgan City, this hardware store acted as the production’s prop studio, where the crew built sets and costumes for the nine-week shoot.

The first Tarzan feature film is generally considered to be The Romance of Tarzan (1918). It was filmed primarily in Huntington, Long Island, New York (studio/exterior work) and on location in Cuba for jungle scenes.

(If you meant the first widely known Tarzan film starring Elmo Lincoln, 1918's Tarzan of the Apes was shot similarly in California/New York studios with some Florida/Cuba location work.)

Since this was a silent film, there was no need for authentic African animal sounds, but they did need wildlife. The filmmakers brought in trained animals from a California zoo, but for background shots, they used:

The most famous scene filmed in Morgan City is the “ape fight” sequence. The actors playing the Mangani apes (men in hair suits) wrestled in knee-deep swamp mud. Elmo Lincoln, who played Tarzan, later recalled that the mosquitoes were so ferocious that actors had to have smoke pots lit between takes. This film was a massive gamble

Lincoln, a former bodybuilder and actor, became the first “screen Tarzan.” He returned to Morgan City decades later for a cameo in a 1949 Tarzan serial, proving the location’s lasting connection to the character.

Early 20th-century filmmaking presented immense logistical challenges. Shooting on location in Africa was nearly impossible due to:

Louisiana’s landscape offered a perfect stand-in for Burroughs’ fictional African jungle. The region features:

Post:

cinema trivia: Where was the first-ever Tarzan movie filmed? 🎥🌿

If you guessed Africa, you’d be wrong! The 1918 silent classic Tarzan of the Apes was filmed right here in the USA—specifically in the bayous of Morgan City, Louisiana.

They used the local swamps to double for the African jungle! 🐊🌴

#FilmTrivia #Tarzan #MovieFacts