By skyforbes 
Pre-Code / Silent Horror Flic
Seven Footprints to Satan is filled with all the excitement and risque adventure you expect from a Pre-Hays Code film. At its core, this is a horror movie. So much so, the producer felt the need to start the movie with a disclaimer: Fear not, there is a happy ending. Nonetheless, I’m sure 1929 audiences were squirming in their seats.
While there is no dialog, this innovative Synchronized Sound movie has exciting sound effects to draw your interest.
As the story begins, Jim Kirkham (Creighton Hale) has inherited his fathers wealth and is enjoying spending it. He is driven to achieve the heights of adventure by exploring deepest, darkest Africa where he wants to discover a new civilization. His uncle and fiancée, Eve Martin (Thelma Todd), are encouraging him to keep his feet on the ground.
A quick sequence of inexplicable events ensue and soon Jim and Eve are kidnapped by a secret cult. They are dashed off the the lair of Mr. Satan where Jim is pressed to pledge his service to Mr. Satan.
He refuses.
For the next hour of the movie, Jim and Eve tumble through tribulations of torture and torment until Jim acquiesces and pledges three years to the service of Mr. Satan to save Eve from Mr. Satan’s followers ribald intentions.
But, this is not the ending…
Creighton Hale had an incredible career staring in silent movies, but didn’t fair well with the transition to talkies. However, he continued to have bit parts in movies for decades. Including The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. Also with Humphrey Bogart, he appeared in another horror movie, The Return Of Doctor X [1939],
Thelma Todd was a Hollywood darling during her fabulous, but short career. Her last role, in The Bohemian Girl, was cut short by her sudden death in 1935 at the age of 29. Todd’s body was discovered inside her Lincoln Phaeton convertible parked inside her garage. Her death was determined to have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. For a while her death was investigated as a homicide. However, in the end, with no indication of suicide or homicide, it was ruled to be an accidental death.
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