The Star of Bethlehem

The Star of Bethlehem is a 1912 American silent film produced by Edwin Thanhouser and Charles J. Hite, and featuring Florence La Badie, James Cruze, and William Russell. The film is a retelling of Biblical events preceding the Nativity of Jesus. Directed by Lawrence Marston, the entire film is staged as brief tableaux. With much of the original lost (only 15 minutes survive), the existing footage can be difficult to interpret as a coherent whole. Overview The plot follows those narratives of the Bible which lead up to the birth of Jesus Christ. The cast was headed by Florence La Badie as Mary, James Cruze as Joseph, with William Russell as King Herod. Cast Florence La Badie as Mary James Cruze as Micah/Joseph William Russell as King Herod Justus D. Barnes as Gaspar, a Magi Riley Chamberlin as Balthasar, a Magi Charles Horan as Melchior, a Magi Harry Marks as Scribe Lawrence Merton as Scribe N.S. Woods as Scribe David H. Thompson as Pharisee, rabbi Lew Woods as Pharisee, scribe Joseph Graybill as Roman messenger Carl LeViness – shepherd Frank Grimmer – shepherd Ethyle Cooke Production notes This film was produced by the Thanhouser Company in 1912. In later life, La Badie described her role of Mary as the favorite of her career.