Tarzan of the Apes (1918 film)

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Tarzan of the Apes
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Scott Sidney
Written by	Fred Miller and Lois Weber (adaptation)
Based on	Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Produced by	William Parsons
Starring	Elmo Lincoln Enid Markey George B. French Gordon Griffith
Cinematography	Enrique Juan Vallejo
Edited by	Isadore Bernstein
Production company	National Film Corporation of America
Distributed by	First National
Release dates	January 27, 1918 (1918-01-27) (Broadway, New York)
Running time	Originally: 120+ min,[1] Available: 61 min
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)
Box office	$1.5 million[2]

Tarzan of the Apes is a 1918 American action/adventure silent film directed by Scott Sidney starring Elmo Lincoln, Enid Markey, George B. French and Gordon Griffith.

It was the first Tarzan film ever made and is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' original 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes. The film adapts only the first part of the novel, the remainder becoming the basis for the sequel, The Romance of Tarzan. The film is considered the most faithful to the novel of all the film adaptations.^{[citation needed]} Its most notable plot change is the introduction of the character Binns and his role in bringing the Porters to Africa; the novel brought them there through the improbable coincidence of a second mutiny.

The role of Tarzan was given to Gordon Griffith, one of the best child actors of the time,^[3] and to Elmo Lincoln, an actor who specialized in "strong man" roles. Enid Markey was the first Jane. Especially for Griffith and Lincoln the film represented a huge personal success, which gave them the opportunity to shoot other important films and guaranteed their presence in three sequels: The Romance of Tarzan (1918), The Son of Tarzan (1920), and The Adventures of Tarzan (1921).