An account of the life of Jesus Christ, based on the books of the New Testament: After Jesus' birth is foretold to his parents, he is born in Bethlehem, and is visited by shepherds and wise...
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Title: From the Manger to the Cross; or, Jesus of Nazareth (1912)
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Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| R. Henderson Bland | ... | Jesus - the Man (as Robert Henderson-Bland) | |
 |
Percy Dyer | ... | Jesus as a Youth |
| Gene Gauntier | ... | Mary | |
| Alice Hollister | ... | Mary Magdalene | |
|
|
Samuel Morgan | ... | Pilate |
| James D. Ainsley | ... | John the Baptist | |
| Robert G. Vignola | ... | Judas | |
|
|
George Kellog | ... | Herod |
| J.P. McGowan | ... | Wise Man 1 | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
An account of the life of Jesus Christ, based on the books of the New Testament: After Jesus' birth is foretold to his parents, he is born in Bethlehem, and is visited by shepherds and wise men. After a stay in Egypt to avoid King Herod, his family settles in Nazareth. After years of preparation, Jesus gathers together a group of disciples, and then begins to speak publicly and to perform miracles, inspiring hope in many of his listeners, but also arousing some dangerous opposition. Written by Snow Leopard
Plot Keywords:
national film registry | jesus christ | egypt | crucifixion of jesus | bethlehem judah |Certificate:
TV-PGParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1913 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Jesus of Nazareth See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
SilentColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Gene Gauntier later claimed that she was recovering from sunstroke on the broiling locations when the idea for the film came to her. See more »Alternate Versions
The Vitagraph Co. of America released a six reel re-edited version of the film after it acquired Kalem's properties in 1919. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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This movie is not the first feature picture. That distinction appears to go to an Australian film, NED KELLY AND HIS GANG from about 1906. Others, particularly the Italians, had made a few films of more than a couple of reels before FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS came out. Nonetheless, this movie is historically very important as the first American feature..... and much of it was shot on location in Egypt and what was then Palestine. It was an enormous undertaking in its time and deserves our respect.
But, does that mean it is worth seeing? Well, if you are fascinated by the history of the film, yes. If you are unfamiliar with silent film techniques, then no, almost certainly not.
This film is shot as a series of tableaux. In the films of D.W. Griffith and others of his line, the titles explain the picture. In tableaux, the pictures illuminate the text of the titles, like an illustrated edition of a novel. Given the average American's familiarity with the subject of this movie -- the life and death of Jesus Christ -- and the use of quotes from the New Testament as titles, this is precisely the effect of FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS: an exciting one, for people who never got to travel further than downstate. To a modern audience, however, it will seem static, as this style of moviemaking went out of style by about 1920.
Second, there are the anachronisms. Cities are shown in their modern guises and if Jesus never saw the walls of Nazareth reared by the Crusaders, so much the worse for the moviegoer. If the nose of the Sphinx was battered off some time between 700 and 1000 AD, someone viewing this picture would never know it, given that Jesus, Joseph and Mary are shown sitting in front of the Sphinx and a pyramid to illustrate the Egyptian exile.
So there are problems with this movie that make it something not to be recommended to the average, or even above-average moviegoer. However, if you love films for their own sake, give it a look.