Historical Film Record: The Soldiers of the Stone - James Wylder

The Soldiers of the Stone

Now lost, the 1921 film Soldiers of the Stone is notable for being both a biblical epic, and a time travel drama. The film follows former US World War I soldier Brett Harmon (John Johnson) as he finds a mysterious crystalline time machine that has been seemingly grown with the Devil’s help by former German soldier Karl Friedrick (Heinrich Grosse III), and chases him into the past where Friedrick seeks to stop the resurrection of Christ.

The rather unique premise was the invention of screenwriter Meredith Stella, whose husband Felix Stella acted as director. The film screened across the United States and Europe, as well as in occupied Korea. Reception was generally positive, though many critics were confused by the ending. Christ only appears at the film’s ending and says something reviewers found either shocking, confusing, or surprising. What that statement is, however, was not written down. All recorded copies were destroyed in World War II, the Korean War, or a studio archive fire. However, rumors of prints continuing to exist in the hands of collectors persist to this day.

Cast listings also include Korean actress Ji-soo Lim, whose role in the movie is unclear, and whose career in Korean silent films is also entirely lost. Her role is credited as “Nari Park”, implying she is also playing a Korean character and not a middle-eastern woman. Film historian Dave Fyodor presumes that she plays Brett’s love interest, but offers no evidence for this claim. “Winnifred the Cat” is also listed in the credits, playing herself, who Fyodor states with actual evidence is director Felix Stella’s own cat.
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Later remade as the TV movie Battle on the Easter Front by director Sergei Johnson, though with the information about Soldiers of the Stone limited, it's unclear if it at all honors the original production.