From the Manger to the Cross or Jesus of Nazareth is a 1912 American motion picture filmed on location in Palestine which tells the story of Jesus’ life. Directed by Sidney Olcott who also appeared in the film, actress and screenwriter Gene Gauntier wrote the script and portrayed the Virgin Mary. The film received excellent reviews at the time of its original release and after Vitagraph Studios acquired Kalem they reissued it in 1917.
According to Turner Classic Movies, the film cost $35,000 to produce (roughly between $1,600,000 and $3,300,000 adjusted to 2007 dollars),[1] and its profits eventually amounted to almost $1 million (roughly $46,000,000 to $95,000,000). Turner considers it to be the most important silent film to deal with the life of Christ. In 1998, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
