Edgar Rice Burroughs convinced James Pierce, his future son-in-law, to turn down a role in Wings (1927) in order to play Tarzan in this film. That role went to a rising Gary Cooper, and made him a star.
James Pierce said of this picture: "Because of poor direction, terrible story treatment and putrid acting, the opus was a stinkeroo. I emerged with nothing to show for my strenuous effort except being typecast as Tarzan. I was out of a job."
The only known print of this film is a French version. There are video dubs of this print in circulation.
Shooting was delayed for month while star James Pierce recovered from injuries suffered in a serious car crash.
A standout in the cast was Yi-Ching Lin, a Chinese giant who stood eight feet tall and weighed 300 pounds.