If you have ever found yourself typing “where was the first Tarzan movie filmed top” into a search engine, you are likely looking for the definitive answer—quickly, but with rich historical context. You want the name of the location, the reason it was chosen, and perhaps some trivia to satisfy your curiosity.
The short answer is: The first Tarzan movie, Tarzan of the Apes (1918), was filmed primarily in the humid, exotic swamps and woodlands of Morgan City, Louisiana, specifically along the Bayou Teche and around Avery Island.
However, the “top” filming location wasn’t Africa—as most audiences assumed—but the American South. Let’s swing through the vines of cinema history to uncover why this location was chosen, how it became the “top” jungle on screen, and why it remains a pilgrimage site for silent film buffs.
To add to the confusion, many people instinctively think of the iconic MGM Tarzan series starring Johnny Weissmuller. 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.
The decision to film the first Tarzan movie in Louisiana established a template that would be followed for decades. Subsequent silent Tarzan films, including The Romance of Tarzan (1918) and The Son of Tarzan (1920), also used Louisiana and other Southern locations (like Florida’s Silver Springs) as jungle stand-ins. where was the first tarzan movie filmed top
It wasn’t until the sound era, particularly the Johnny Weissmuller films of the 1930s and 40s, that Tarzan movies began using more exotic locations like Guatemala’s Lake Atitlán or California’s Sherwood Forest. And it took until the 1980s and 90s for major productions to occasionally film on actual African soil (e.g., Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan was shot in Cameroon and Kenya).
The primary location unit for the jungle scenes was dispatched to the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. This is perhaps the most surprising fact for modern viewers; the "African" jungle that Tarzan swung through was actually the largest swamp in the United States.
The production team chose Louisiana because it offered the dense, humid, and tangled vegetation that the script demanded. At the time, traveling to Africa for a film shoot was logistically impossible and far too expensive for a burgeoning Hollywood studio. Louisiana provided a convincing double for the equatorial regions, with its hanging Spanish moss, cypress knees, and murky waters.
During the filming in the basin, the cast and crew faced genuine hardships. The environment was not a set; it was a living, breathing, and dangerous swamp. Reports from the set indicate that the actors were frequently attacked by mosquitoes, had to contend with real alligators, and suffered through the intense humidity. This authenticity translated to the screen, giving the 1918 film a gritty, realistic texture that studio backlots could not have replicated. If you have ever found yourself typing “where
Understanding where the first Tarzan movie was filmed is not just trivia—it’s a window into early cinematic ingenuity. Here is why this location remains at the “top” of film history lists:
Title: Where Was the First Tarzan Movie Filmed? The Surprising Location
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When we think of Tarzan, we usually imagine the dense jungles of Africa. However, if you are looking for the filming location of the very first Tarzan movie, you won't find it on that continent. Quick Facts for your content:
The first film adaptation, Tarzan of the Apes (1918), was filmed in Morgan City, Louisiana.
Why Louisiana? At the time, it was much cheaper and safer to film in the Louisiana swamps than to travel internationally. The production team utilized the Atchafalaya Basin to stand in for the fictional African jungle. In fact, the film was a massive success and put Morgan City on the map as a premier filming destination for early Hollywood.
Quick Facts for your content:
It is interesting to note that the choice to film in Louisiana set a precedent for early Tarzan productions. While later films, such as the Johnny Weissmuller era in the 1930s and 40s, would rely heavily on the famous "Los Angeles Arboretum" and sound stages with stock footage of African animals, the 1918 film relied on the genuine, untamed wildness of the American South.
The contrast between the Atchafalaya Basin and the Los Angeles studios highlights the adventurous spirit of early silent filmmakers. They did not have the luxury of computer-generated imagery or easy international travel. Instead, they found "Africa" in the bayous of Louisiana, creating a piece of cinema history that is still studied for its ambitious use of location today.
