Treading on the Devil's Tail: Pre-Production Bible

Initial public deposit of the pre-production Bible for Treading on the Devil’s Tail, a documentary film series centered on the custodial history of F.W. Murnau’s lost 1928 Fox Film feature 4 Devils.

The Bible documents both the project’s investigative framework and the results of extensive primary research conducted between 2014 and 2025. Incorporated within it is a large, regionally structured dataset of verified theatrical engagements of 4 Devils from 1928 to 1933, compiled exclusively from contemporary newspaper advertisements and listings.

The dataset records over 2,180 U.S. and territorial screenings, over 260 Australian screenings, and over 50 New Zealand screenings, including evidence of parallel print circulation, repeat engagements, rural traveling exhibitions, and prolonged post-silent-era exhibition.

This deposit represents a substantive evidentiary foundation for the project rather than a preliminary proposal, and is presented as part of an ongoing investigative effort rather than a final accounting or claim of recovery.