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
Louisiana Tarzan - Home to the First King of the Jungle Movie
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.
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 . 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
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
It was the first silent film to earn over $1 million at the box office, becoming an overnight sensation.
