The 28 Apr 1926 Var 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 Var 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 Var, Dorothy Mackaill was contracted to First National and initially assigned the co-starring role. However, Richard 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, see entry), Mackaill reportedly refused to participate in the alternate film, and was taken off the First National payroll.
       On 9 Feb 1927, Var indicated that Richard 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 Var. Five hundred were cast as German soldiers, but the War Department declared they would “not allow American soldiers to impersonate Germans.”
       The 24 Apr 1927 FD indicated that production was still underway. On 7 Jun 1927, FD reported that Molly O’Day had “completed work” on the picture.
       The 24 Jun 1927 Motion Picture News noted that Al Rockett was the production manager at the start of the film, but his brother, Ray Rockett, took over the role toward the end of production.
       The world premiere was announced by the 8 Jun 1927 Var, to be held at New York City’s Globe Theatre on 15 Aug 1927 at $2 a ticket.
       The Sep 1927 Photoplay declared The Patent Leather Kid as one of the “Best Pictures of the Month,” and named Barthelmess amongst the “Best Performances of the Month.”
       Richard Barthelmess received an Academy Award nomination at the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929, which included films from 1927 and 1928.