The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the first silent film to earn over $1 million at the box office and ranking among the top 10 most successful films of the silent era.
The script required hundreds of tribal characters. The local sugarcane plantations provided a large African-American population willing to work as extras. Crucially, Tarzan of the Apes broke progressive ground by casting Black actors to play Black characters, completely eschewing the standard Hollywood practice of using white actors in blackface.
Located just across the water from Morgan City, offered an untouched, isolated landscape dominated by thick vegetation, winding waterways, and deep-woods bayous. This area was heavily utilized to shoot scenes of young and adult Tarzan navigating the wilderness, hunting, and interacting with the local wildlife. 3. Downtown Morgan City (The Prop and Costume Shop)
Below is an in-depth exploration of the top filming locations used for this groundbreaking movie, the reasons behind selecting these deep-south environments, and how subsequent film franchises transformed other global regions into Tarzan’s domain. Key Filming Locations in Morgan City, Louisiana
Specifically, the production set up camp along the banks of the area. At the time, the film was one of the most expensive ever made, and they chose the Louisiana bayous to double for the African jungle.
[Morgan City, Louisiana] │ ├─► Lake End Park (Waterfront & Native Village Scenes) │ ├─► Atchafalaya Basin (Swamps standing in for African Jungle) │ └─► Lake Palourde (Deep Jungle & Waterway Sequences) Specific Filming Spots in the Bayou
The majority of jungle scenes were filmed along the Bayou Teche and in the swamps surrounding Morgan City. In 1918, this region was selected for its dense, overhanging moss, cypress trees, and murky waterways, which cinematographers framed to mimic a West African jungle. The humid, subtropical environment provided a practical substitute for Africa without the logistical expense of overseas travel.
To make the "African" setting more believable, the production imported live lions, chimpanzees, and other exotic animals to the Louisiana set. Controlling these animals in an open swamp led to numerous logistical headaches and safety concerns.
The film's production had to shift quickly when the original Tarzan actor, Stellan S. Windrow, was called up for World War I service. Summary of Filming Locations Scene Type Jungle Scenes Morgan City, Louisiana Swamps and bayous, 5 weeks of filming. Studio/Animal Scenes Selig Zoo, Los Angeles Used for controlled animal scenes. Exterior Shots Griffith Park, Los Angeles Often used in early California filmmaking.
: The town offered necessary amenities for a large film crew, including hotels , a railway-serviced wharf , and local storage warehouses.