The Patent Leather Kid (Silent)

New York - 1917. "The Patent Leather Kid" is a self-absorbed boxer who cares nothing about the war breaking out in Europe. One thing he does care about is his girlfriend Curley Boyle, the sexiest cooch dancer on the Lower East Side. When she leaves him to entertain the troops in France, the Kid's dormant patriotism starts to stir. Before long, he and his boxing coach are drafted and wind up just another pair of goldbricks in this man's army. That is, until the coach is killed and the Kid is suddenly spurred on to daredevil acts of great heroism. Now the Kid's fighting in a whole different kind of ring - one he may not see the other side of...

In the time period between his first real hit, Tol'able David (1921), and his last, The Patent Leather Kid (1927), Richard Barthelmess was indisputably one of the most popular leading men in Hollywood. Barthelmess got his big break with the help of famed Russian actress Alla Nazimova, with whom he co-starred in War Brides (1919). Brought to the attention of D.W. Griffith, "Dick" rose to fame appearing in the classic Broken Blossoms (1919) and again in 1920's Way Down East, which features the iconic scene where he leaps over ice floes to save the heroine. In 1921 he achieved widespread success with Tol'able David, starring in a role many critics consider his best. Further hits like Soul-Fire (1925), Ranson's Folly (1926) and The Drop Kick (1927) followed, but once sound came around his popularity began to wane. Following his service in World War II, Dick retired to Long Island to live off the proceeds from successful real estate investments. Co-star Molly O'Day was selected from a group of two thousand girls for her role as "Curley". Once the film proved a success, Molly was poised to become the next big Hollywood glamour girl, but botched weight loss surgery in 1928 ruined her health and eventually cut short her career. She quietly retired from show business after being reduced to appearing in low-budget Poverty Row fare like Sea Devils (1931), Playthings of Desire (1933), and Lawless Border (1935). Barthelmess was nominated for the first Best Actor Oscar for The Patent Leather Kid, but lost to Emil Jannings for his roles in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh.