Earth Day 2012: It’s not easy being green
April 18, 2012
Son’s ordeal ends with dad jailed for 30 years
April 18, 2012
Tarzan will call St. Mary Parish his home, least for the next year.
Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne opened a Tarzan exhibit inside the Louisiana State Museum in Patterson to fete the character Tarzan’s 100th birthday and the 95th anniversary of his film debut, which was shot in Morgan City.
The exhibit also celebrates the debut of the documentary, “Tarzan: Lord of the Louisiana Jungle,” directed and produced by Al and Allison Bohl of Bossier City. The documentary discusses Tarzan’s first film, “Tarzan of the Apes,” and its filming on Avoca Island and in Lake End Park in Morgan City and in swampland north of Berwick and Patterson.
Dardenne said he was pleased to open the exhibit and more importantly, to place St. Mary Parish back on the map as eye candy for movie producers and directors.
“As Louisiana ranks No. 3 in the country as an ideal play land for Hollywood, and as we nip on the heels of California and New York for their one and two positions, I can’t think of a better time to put Berwick, Patterson and Morgan City back on the radar screen as the places to make movies,” Dardenne said.
“Then, to bring north Louisiana in on this, with two filmmakers who are telling the story of how the movie was filmed here, in a documentary that I know will reach all part of the world because of the popularity of the Tarzan character, well I just couldn’t be more pleased.”
Carrie Stansbury, director of the St. Mary Parish Cajun Coast Tourist Commission, together with a local volunteer board, which included the St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce, also took the opportunity to launch the first Tarzan Festival, which feted the movie and its history in Morgan City. The event included tug-of-war, Tarzan look a-like contests, and a Tarzan yell contest.
“We’re tired of being the bayou’s best kept secret. We’re doing all we can to shout to the rest of the state, the country and the world (that) we’re an incredible opportunity here. And this was just an incredible opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” Stansbury said.
Gov. Bobby Jindal proclaimed Friday April 13 as Tarzan Day, which Stansbury said was “a prelude to set the exhibit and festival, off to a good start.”
Edgar Rice Burroughs created the Tarzan character. His grandson Danton Burroughs made it his life to preserve the character and integrity of his grandfather’s work, according to Linda Burroughs.
Danton Burroughs died in 2008. However, Linda, together with their children Llana Jane and Dejah Burroughs, who are the great-granddaughters of Edgar Rice Burroughs, were present for the museum opening, and later, the festival.
“This has just been spectacular,” Linda Burroughs said. “We live this, and so this is just enriching our lives.”
The Louisiana State Museum is located in Patterson, adjacent to the Patterson Civic Center.
It is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and state holidays. School and group tours are available by calling (985) 399-1268.
Daniel Besse, of Morgan City, won the Tarzan look-alive and Tarzan yell contests.
