Sharon Tate was the original casting pick for the female lead. There are photographs in existence from 1965 of her with Mike Henry along with a lion at a press conference that was held to promote the two newcomers. Martin Ransohoff who had the starlet under exclusive contract changed his mind about having this being her first film and the role was recast with Nancy Kovack.
This was the first of three Tarzan movies produced by Sy Weintraub and filmed back-to-back in 1965, all starring former NFL player Mike Henry in the title role.The other two were Tarzan and the Great River (released in 1967) and Tarzan and the Jungle Boy (released in 1968). All three were distribued in the U.S. by American International Pictures.
Manuel Padilla Jr. [Ramel] would go on to play in the 1966 Tarzan series as Jai.
Like most of the actors who portrayed Tarzan before him, Mike Henry was submitted to extensive body waxing, although some of his considerable chest hair, modified and neatly trimmed, was allowed to remain.
Completed in 1965, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold opened in July 1966 in New York City, double-billed with the Japanese feature, Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965). A Los Angeles,CA, debut followed in Sep 1966. Reviews were tepid.