While the deep jungle scenes were shot in Louisiana, the production also utilized the burgeoning film infrastructure in Los Angeles, California. This was the transitional era of filmmaking, where studios were moving from the East Coast to the West Coast to take advantage of the consistent sunlight and varied landscapes.
The "civilized" scenes, such as the interior of the Porter cabin and the early sequences involving Tarzan’s parents, were likely filmed on studio stages or constructed sets in the Los Angeles area. Additionally, certain coastal scenes were filmed along the California coastline, doubling for the African shores where the shipwrecked characters first land.
The silent film starring Elmo Lincoln (the first official Tarzan) was produced by the National Film Corporation of America. To create the dense, untamed wilderness required for the story, the production team chose the areas surrounding Baton Rouge, specifically:
The character of Tarzan, the aristocratic Lord Greystoke raised by apes in the African jungle, has been a cornerstone of popular culture for over a century. Created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the “Lord of the Jungle” has swung from the pages of novels into comic strips, radio shows, television series, and, most memorably, the silver screen. When discussing the film legacy of Tarzan, a common question arises: where was the first Tarzan movie filmed?
The answer is a fascinating journey into early cinema, revealing that the wilds of Africa were actually recreated much closer to home. where was the first tarzan movie filmed top
When people search “where was the first Tarzan movie filmed top,” they often see conflicting answers. Let’s correct them:
| Film | Year | Primary Filming Location | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | First Feature-Length Tarzan Movie | 1918 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana (swamps & Ramshorn Plantation) | | First Sound-Era Tarzan (Weissmuller) | 1932 | Hollywood, California & Sherwood Forest, CA |
So, while the king of the jungle is a son of Africa, the very first film to capture his adventures was born and bred in the sultry, alligator-filled bayous of Louisiana, USA.
The first-ever Tarzan movie, the silent film Tarzan of the Apes (1918) , was primarily filmed in and around Morgan City, Louisiana While the deep jungle scenes were shot in
. 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. Myth: It was filmed in Florida
The story of where the first Tarzan movie was filmed is a fascinating journey through early Hollywood history, a time when the line between reality and the backlot was often blurred by the magic of cinema. To answer the question of "where" regarding the very first adaptation, we must look not to the jungles of Africa, but to the swamps and studios of the United States.
Here is a detailed look at the filming locations of the first Tarzan movie.
To summarize, the first Tarzan movie, Tarzan of the Apes (1918), was filmed in two main locations:
While many people might think of Johnny Weissmuller or the 1980s Greystoke film as the early days, the very first time Tarzan appeared on screen was in the 1918 silent film Tarzan of the Apes. The movie starred Elmo Lincoln as the Ape Man and Enid Markey as Jane Porter.
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.