Silent film from First National Pictures, directed by Alfred Santell. The Patent Leather Kid is a boxing-war-romance that earned Richard Barthelmess and Academy Award nomination and features a breakout performance by Molly O’Day.
Jack Dempsey’s War Record and The Patent Leather Kid (1927)
Slacker charges against champion Jack Dempsey influence First National’s The Patent Leather Kid, released in 1927 just ahead of the Dempsey-Tunney rematch in 1927.
Lady and Gent (1932) Starring George Bancroft and Wynne Gibson
A washed-up fighter and a Prohibition-era nightclub hostess form an unlikely foster family for a 12-year-old orphan. Strong performances by George Bancroft and Wynne Gibson in Lady and Gent. Directed by Stephen Roberts. Academy Award nominated screenplay.
Winner Take All (1932) from Warner Archive’s Latest Wave of James Cagney
James Cagney stars as boxer Jimmy Kane in Winner Take All, a 1932 Warner Bros. release. This post takes a look at the Rocky II-like double knockdown from the film in order to revisit its inspiration, a real-life 1912 lightweight title fight. Also starring Marian Nixon and Virginia Bruce.
