The fourteenth film of the Tarzan film series that began with 1932's Tarzan the Ape Man, the plot involves a lost civilization in Africa, a strange illness, and an evil counselor manipulating a prince into kidnapping large numbers of local women.

After saving the local tribe, Dr. Campbell and Tarzan (with the help of Neil, a drunken big game hunter) head for the Lionian city.

He is easily swayed by the evil counselor, Sengo, who has persuaded the Prince to indulge every lust for food, drink, and women to assuage his grief.

Furthermore, the illness has killed many Lionian women, leading the menfolk to capture local beauties as concubines.

The Prince's son has fallen ill with the disease, and Sengo blames Tarzan and Neil.

[3] But the June 23 announcement changed it to Tarzan and the Slave Girl as well as naming Lex Barker as the star.

[2] On July 16, French actress Denise Darcel (who had recently appeared in William Wellman's World War II picture Battleground, was cast as the slave girl.

[5] Hans Jacoby, who had scripted the highly popular Tarzan and the Amazons, turned in the screenplay for the film.

[6] Some location shooting was done in Baldwin Park, California,[7] the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, and the Iverson Movie Ranch.

[10] Brown had been a popular performer on the Quiz Kids radio show, and at age 21 already had a six-year acting career which included a number of prominent roles in important films.

[10] Director Sholem found her pompous: The slave girl in the title is Lola, played by Denise Darcel.

[15] Suffering from Parkinson's disease and having already had several heart attacks, Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs visited the set during production.

"[17] The New York Times called the film "painful" to watch, and said, "About the only novelty the picture offers is Cheeta's encounter with a bottle of whisky, and even that isn't very funny.