Did You Know?
Writer Robert Towne used the name of his sheepdog, P.H. Vazak, reportedly because he was dissatisfied with the film. This means a dog was nominated for an Academy Award.
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David Puttnam had originally planned to produced the film but fell out with Hugh Hudson over creative differences.
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Although the title of the movie has "Tarzan" in it, you never actually hear anyone call him Tarzan. You only hear people call him Lord Greystoke or John.
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The first theatrical feature to be shot in the Super 35 format, then called Super Techniscope.
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Glenn Close, who voiced Andie MacDowell's character of Jane, also voiced Kala, Tarzan's adoptive mother, in the 1999 Disney version.
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Director Hugh Hudson was required to film Eric Langlois in such a way that he appeared less frequently nude than Danny Potts did. Nevertheless, there is one full frontal close up of Langlois.
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Primate choreographer Peter Elliott also performed the role of Silverbeard, but is listed in the credits as "Elliot W. Cane" because there was an actor who happened to have the same name as Peter.
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Originally 180 minutes long, but was eventually cut down, with a number of key roles being turned into bit parts.
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The original director of photography was David Watkin. Because Watkin suffered from arachnophobia, he refused to travel to African locations since there are large amount of spiders to contend with. However, as John Alcott had prior engagements, production in Elstree went ahead, with Watkin shooting all studio scenes. He was uncredited in the film.
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It was first intended that Lord Esker would be played by a young man, and Hugh Grant was one of the choices for the part. It was decided later, however, that the character should be middle-aged, and James Fox was cast.
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The painting in the staircase hall is "Horse Attacked by a Lion" (1769) by George Stubbs. The artist painted several version of the subject, now shown in galleries like "Tate", London, and "Victoria", Melbourne.
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