Vintage original 8x10 in. US single-weight glossy photograph from the classic 1920's boxing-themed WWI silent film drama, THE PATENT LEATHER KID, released in 1927 by First National Pictures and directed by Alfred Santell. The Patent Leather Kid (Richard Barthelmess), a boxer from New York's Lower East Side, has little affection for his country, now at war with Germany. His contempt deepens when his girl (Molly O'Day) leaves him to entertain the troops in France. When the Kid and his trainer are drafted, the trainer is shot in military action. This loss spurs on the Kid to acts of heroism, but he is badly injured and becomes partially paralyzed. After the war, the Kid attends a military parade with his girl friend, who has become an Army nurse. Seeing the flag unfurl, the Kid slowly raises his previously paralyzed hand in salute.

The image depicts an exterior shot of Sergeant (Hank Mann) trying to figure something out as he talks with fellow soldiers Jimmy Kinch (Arthur Stone, left), the Patent Leather Kid (Richard Barthelmess), and Jake Stuke (Matthew Betz) as other soldiers stand behind them. It is in fine- condition with random signs of wear, creases, and small chips in the borders and some scratches (simply from handling over time).

The Patent Leather Kid was Richard Barthelmess's first film for First National Pictures after the dissolution his own production company, Inspiration Pictures. 

Molly O'Day was selected out of 2,000 actresses for her role in this film and it was her first credited role (Barthelmess and O'Day would appear together again in The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come one year later). The 28 Apr 1926 Variety announced The Patent Leather Kid as one of First National Pictures’ upcoming “seven specials” to be released in the following year. Eight months later, the 18 Dec 1926 Motion Picture News reported that production would begin in Jan 1927 at the First National Studios in Burbank, CA. The 5 Jan 1927 Variety noted that Howard J. Green had been “signed to do the gags,” but the comedy writer was not credited in subsequent news items or reviews. Although the Nov 1926 Motion Picture Magazine announced that actress Dorothy Mackaill would play opposite lead actor Richard Barthelmess, she was replaced before production began, as reported in the 18 Feb 1927 Motion Picture News. According to items in the 12 Jan and 16 Feb 1927 Variety, Dorothy Mackaill was contracted to First National and initially assigned the co-starring role. However, Barthelmess “had another feminine lead in mind and insisted that his choice be used, even though she had no previous ‘Big League’ experience.” After being reassigned to star in See You In Jail (1927), Mackaill reportedly refused to participate in the alternate film, and was taken off the First National payroll.


On 9 Feb 1927, Variety indicated that Barthelmess broke his foot while playing tennis, and was laid-up in a cast. Production was expected to be delayed for three or four weeks. The 18 Feb 1927 Motion Picture News named newcomer Molly O’Day as Barthelmess’s co-star. With principal photography underway on location at Fort Lewis military base in Pierce County, WA, just outside of Tacoma, 3,000 U.S. soldiers were recruited as background actors in the battle sequences, as reported in the 16 Mar 1927 Variety. Five hundred were cast as German soldiers, but the War Department declared they would “not allow American soldiers to impersonate Germans.” The 24 April, 1927 Film Daily indicated that production was still underway and on 7 June, 1927, Film Daily reported that Molly O’Day had “completed work” on the picture.


Richard Barthelmess received an Academy Award nomination at the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, which included films from 1927 and 1928. The screenwriter, who was also nominated for an Academy Award, was Rupert Hughes, the uncle of Howard Hughes, Jr.