While Morgan City is the primary answer to “where was the first Tarzan movie filmed,” the production did use for specific sequences:
================================================================================= THE 1918 TARZAN FILMING LOCATIONS AT A GLANCE ================================================================================= Primary Town: Morgan City, Louisiana, USA Specific Park: Lake End Park (On the shores of Lake Palourde) Major Environment: The Swamps and Waterways of the Atchafalaya Basin Notable Island Shoot: Avoca Island Studio Pickups: Los Angeles / Hollywood Studio Lots ================================================================================= Why Hollywood Chose Morgan City
The 1918 film Tarzan of the Apes , directed by Scott Sidney and starring Elmo Lincoln as the titular character, holds the distinction of being the first Tarzan feature film. Determining its filming location is crucial for film historians, as it marks the beginning of a century-long tradition of using exotic locales (or their substitutes) to represent the African jungle. where was the first tarzan movie filmed top
To add to the confusion, many people instinctively think of the iconic MGM Tarzan series starring . The first of those films, Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), is often called the "first" by casual fans because it introduced the famous yell and jungle romance. That movie was filmed primarily in Hollywood sound stages and at Sherwood Forest (a ranch in California’s San Fernando Valley), with second-unit jungle shots taken from a travelogue filmed in Congo, Africa .
Director Scott Sidney pushed for realism, insisting on authentic outdoor conditions. One famous anecdote recounts how Elmo Lincoln had to wrestle a live, sedated lion on a makeshift jungle set—a far cry from today’s CGI. While Morgan City is the primary answer to
The production utilized the region's unique landscapes to simulate the African jungle:
The production of this film was a massive undertaking for the time, and its locations were split between two vastly different environments: the wilds of Louisiana and the controlled sets of California. The first of those films, Tarzan the Ape
: The dark bayous and waterways of the Atchafalaya Swamp served as the backdrop for most of the jungle scenes.
The producers chose Morgan City, a small town in South Louisiana, as the primary shooting location for its uncanny resemblance to their vision of an African jungle. The area's created a mysterious and exotic landscape perfect for the story. The entire production was a significant logistical undertaking for its time, with a budget of $250,000 —a massive sum in 1918.