Archive - Tarzan 1966 Internet

The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free public access to millions of books, movies, software, music, and websites. Operating under the principles of "Universal Access to Human Knowledge," it hosts a massive collection of "ephemeral" films—content that copyright holders have abandoned, forgotten, or neglected to monetize.

It is important to note that the Internet Archive does not host pirated content in the traditional sense. It operates under the DMCA and the doctrine of fair use, preserving media that is at risk of being lost. For a show like Tarzan (1966), which has no official digital release and is decomposing in studio vaults, the Archive acts as an emergency ward for cultural artifacts.

To set the record straight: the most famous “Tarzan 1966” is actually the German-Italian co-production Tarzan und die Wildfrau (released in the US as Tarzan and the Valley of Gold in 1966). But the true oddity of the year is the film starring Mike Henry. tarzan 1966 internet archive

For those who don’t know, Mike Henry was a former football player (Pittsburgh Steelers) turned actor. He wasn’t a gymnast like Weissmuller or a poet like Lex Barker. Henry was a bruiser. His Tarzan is less “lord of the jungle” and more “linebacker in a loincloth.” He only played the role three times, but his first outing in 1966 is a raw, sweaty, time-capsule gem.

The plot is pure 60s pulp: Tarzan leaves the jungle (mistake number one) to recover a stolen boy from a modern, white-slaver-style villain. There’s a hidden city. There’s a cult. There’s a lot of yelling. And there is a distinct lack of "Cheeta the Chimp" comic relief. This Tarzan is angry, stoic, and moves like a man who just ran through a brick wall. The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library

To understand what you are looking for on the Archive, you first need the backstory. By 1966, Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Lord of the Apes had already been played by Johnny Weissmuller, Lex Barker, and Gordon Scott on the big screen. But television was the new frontier.

Produced by Banner Productions and airing on NBC from September 8, 1966, to April 11, 1968, this Tarzan (1966) series starred a former Florida State University quarterback and actor named Ron Ely. Only 57 episodes were produced

Why was this version different?

Only 57 episodes were produced. For decades, the series was considered "lost media" or locked in syndication rights hell. VHS copies from the 1980s were expensive and rare. Then came the Internet Archive.

Navigating the Archive requires a bit of precision. Simply typing "Tarzan" will return 10,000 results, ranging from 1930s serials to 1990s cartoons. Here is your step-by-step guide to finding the Ron Ely episodes.