Or, more exactly, "Avventure straordinarissime di Saturnino Farandola" (Extraordinary Adventures of Saturnino Farandola), a totally delirious Italian silent directed by Marcel Perez (and, uncredited, Luigi Maggi) was shown on the German/French ARTE channel. It's an adaptation of a French novel by Albert Robida (1846-1928) and was produced by the Ambrosio Company.
A baby, the only survivor of a shipwreck, is adopted by a tribe of apes on an island. Years later he is considered as "inferior" because he has no tail, leaves the island on a little embarcation (spelling?), and it's only the beginning of a series of extravagant adventures, in the spirit of Jules Verne (but in a humorous manner).

Incidentally, his novel was published in 1879. Thirty-three years before "Tarzan of the Apes"!
Robida was also a talented illustrator:

A baby, the only survivor of a shipwreck, is adopted by a tribe of apes on an island. Years later he is considered as "inferior" because he has no tail, leaves the island on a little embarcation (spelling?), and it's only the beginning of a series of extravagant adventures, in the spirit of Jules Verne (but in a humorous manner).

Incidentally, his novel was published in 1879. Thirty-three years before "Tarzan of the Apes"!
Robida was also a talented illustrator:

