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. Status and availability The film was originally shot on three full reels. Today, only a one-reel edited version survives and is preserved at the BFI National Archive and the John E. Allen, Incorporated archive. The surviving footage is now in the public domain. Because no copyright number exists in the film, it is possible that it was never officially copyrighted at the time of its release. The Star of Bethlehem was included on The Thanhouser Collection: Volumes 1, 2 and 3 DVD collection released in 2006. See also List of Christmas films References External links 1912 films 1910s Christmas drama films American Christmas drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films about the Nativity of Jesus Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film Thanhouser Company films Lost American films 1912 lost films Lost drama films Portrayals of Saint Joseph in film 1912 drama films 1910s American films Silent American drama films