Paper Moon (1973)

During the Great Depression, a con man finds himself saddled with a young girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the two forge an unlikely partnership.

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Joe David Brown (novel), Alvin Sargent (screenplay)

Stars:

Ryan O'Neal, Tatum O'Neal, Madeline Kahn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan O'Neal	...	Moses Pray
Tatum O'Neal	...	Addie / Addie Loggins
Madeline Kahn	...	Trixie Delight
John Hillerman	...	Deputy Hardin / Jess Hardin
P.J. Johnson	...	Imogene
Jessie Lee Fulton	...	Miss Ollie
James N. Harrell	...	The Minister (as Jim Harrell)
Lila Waters	...	The Minister's Wife
Noble Willingham	...	Mr. Robertson
Bob Young	...	Gas Station Attendant
Jack Saunders	...	Station Master
Jody Wilbur	...	Cafe Waitress
Liz Ross	...	The Widow Morgan (Pearl)
Yvonne Harrison	...	The Widow Bates (Marie)
Ed Reed	...	The Lawman - Bates' Home

Storyline

Adapted from the novel, "Addie Pray" (1971) by Joe David Brown, PAPER MOON is the story of Moses Pray and Addie Loggins. With scenery reminiscent of "The Grapes of Wrath," the film is set in the depression-era Midwestern region of the United States. As the movie opens, we see a small group of mourners clustered at a graveside. Among the mourners is Addie, the dead woman's small daughter. Moses Pray -- ostensibly of the "Kansas Bible Company" -- approaches the group, as the service concludes, and two of the elderly women remark that the child bears some resemblance to him and asks if he might be related. "If ever a child needed kin, it's now," one lady says. With no knowledge of who her father is, Addie's only haven is her Aunt's home in St. Joseph, Missouri. Having identified himself as a "traveling man spreading the Lord's gospel in these troubled times," "Mose" is prevailed upon to deliver the helpless child to her Aunt since he's going that way, anyway. Addie, wise beyond her years...

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Plot Keywords:

bible | carnival | con man | missouri | kansas | 

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Taglines:

As P.T. Barnum put it, "There's a sucker born every minute."

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 May 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Luna de papel

Filming Locations:

Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Directors Company, The, Saticoy Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Burton Gilliam had no previous acting experience prior to being cast as Floyd in this film.

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Goofs

When Addie says, "Don't knock, use the key!" and sends Moze to Trixie's hotel room, we see a window behind Addie with a lace curtain. However, though this lace curtain, we can see cars that are of late 60's / early 70's style.

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Quotes

[first lines]
The Minister: Judge me, oh Lord, for I have lost in mine integrity. I have trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, oh Lord, and prove me. Try my reins and my heart, for Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth.

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Crazy Credits

Special thanks to the people in and around Hays, Kansas and St. Joseph, Missouri

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Connections

Referenced in Gilmore Girls: How Many Kropogs to Cape Cod? (2005)

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Soundtracks

"The Banks of the Ohio"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by The Blue Sky Boys

User Reviews

Enchanting Depression-era comedy...

True, TATUM O'NEIL won an Oscar for her role as Addie Pray in PAPER MOON and fully deserved it. Her dad, RYAN O'NEIL must have been proud of her but his only reward was a Golden Globe nomination.

The con artist and little girl theme had been used before in Damon Runyon's famous comedy "Little Miss Marker" with Shirley Temple and Adolphe Menjou. But here the twist is that the girl is just as much a con artist as the man--and that's the key that makes the film so much more palatable for 1970s audiences without getting too sentimental about it.

There's a real Depression-era feeling to the whole story, with some richly detailed panoramas of rural America and its citizens at that time in history. Peter Bogdanovich has done a commendable job in making sure that his authentic backgrounds illuminate an enchanting tale about two drifters who share an unusual partnership when it becomes clear to the man that the girl would be a valuable aid in his con work.

There's a bright supporting role by MADELINE KAHN as Trixie Delight, a stripper who tosses off some good one-liners, but it's the chemistry between Tatum and Ryan that turns this into the most satisfying "buddy" movie of the '70s.

Summing up: A treat not to be missed.