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:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 10 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Ryan O'Neal | ... |
Moses Pray
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| Tatum O'Neal | ... |
Addie Loggins
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| Madeline Kahn | ... |
Trixie Delight
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| John Hillerman | ... |
Deputy Hardin / Jess Hardin
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| P.J. Johnson | ... |
Imogene
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| Jessie Lee Fulton | ... |
Miss Ollie
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James N. Harrell | ... |
The Minister
(as Jim Harrell)
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Lila Waters | ... |
The Minister's Wife
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| Noble Willingham | ... |
Mr. Robertson
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Bob Young | ... |
Gas Station Attendant
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Jack Saunders | ... |
Station Master
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Jody Wilbur | ... |
Cafe Waitress
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Liz Ross | ... |
The Widow Morgan - Pearl
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Yvonne Harrison | ... |
The Widow Bates - Marie
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| Ed Reed | ... |
The Lawman - Bates' Home
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Dorothy Price | ... |
Ribbon Saleslady
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Eleanor Bogart | ... |
The Widow Stanley - Elvira
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Dorothy Forster | ... |
The Widow Huff - Edna
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Lana Daniel | ... |
Moze's Girlfriend
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Herschel Morris | ... |
The Barber
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| Dejah Moore | ... |
Salesgirl - $20 Bill
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| Ralph Coder | ... |
Store Manager
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Harriet Ketchum | ... |
Store Customer
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Desmond Dhooge | ... |
Cotton Candy Man
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Kenneth Hughes | ... |
Harem Tent Barker
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George Lillie | ... |
The Photographer
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| Burton Gilliam | ... |
Floyd - Desk Clerk
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| Floyd Mahaney | ... |
Beau - Hardin's Deputy
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| Gilbert Milton | ... |
Leroy's Father
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| Randy Quaid | ... |
Leroy
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Tandy Arnold | ... |
Leroy's Brother
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Dennis Beden | ... |
Leroy's Brother
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Vernon Schwanke | ... |
Leroy's Brother
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| Hugh Gillin | ... |
2nd Deputy
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| Art Ellison | ... |
Silver Mine Gentleman
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Rose-Mary Rumbley | ... |
Aunt Billie
(as Rosemary Rumbley)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Jack Benny | ... |
Self on Radio Show (uncredited) (archiveSound)
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Jeff Colyer | ... |
Extra (uncredited)
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| Jim Jordan | ... |
Fibber McGee (uncredited) (archiveSound)
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| Marian Jordan | ... |
Molly McGee (uncredited) (archiveSound)
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| Don Wilson | ... |
Self on Jack Benny Radio Show (uncredited) (archiveSound)
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Directed by
| Peter Bogdanovich | ||
Written by
| Joe David Brown | ... | (novel "Addie Pray") |
| Alvin Sargent | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Peter Bogdanovich | ... | producer |
| Francis Ford Coppola | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| William Friedkin | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| Frank Marshall | ... | associate producer |
Cinematography by
| László Kovács | ... | director of photography (as Laszlo Kovacs) |
Editing by
| Verna Fields | ||
Editorial Department
| Rick Fields | ... | post-production assistant (as Richard Fields) |
| William Neel | ... | assistant editor |
Casting By
| Gary Chason | ||
Production Design by
| Polly Platt | ||
Set Decoration by
| John P. Austin | ... | (as John Austin) |
Costume Design by
| Polly Platt | ... | (uncredited) |
Makeup Department
| Dorothy Byrne | ... | hairdresser |
| Rolf Miller | ... | makeup |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Jerry Ballew | ... | second assistant director |
| Gary Daigler | ... | assistant director trainee |
| Ray Gosnell Jr. | ... | assistant director (as Ray Gosnell) |
Art Department
| George Lillie | ... | painter |
| Ed Shanley | ... | construction coordinator |
| James H. Spencer | ... | set designer (as James Spencer) |
| Mark Wade | ... | assistant prop man |
| Tony Wade | ... | prop master |
Sound Department
| William C. Carruth | ... | assistant sound editor (as Bill Carruth) |
| Les Fresholtz | ... | mixer |
| Richard Portman | ... | re-recording |
| Kay Rose | ... | sound editor |
| Frank E. Warner | ... | sound editor (as Frank Warner) |
| Norman Webster | ... | boom man |
Visual Effects by
| Jack Harmon | ... | optical effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Richmond L. Aguilar | ... | gaffer (as Richmond Aguilar) |
| Bobby Byrne | ... | camera operator (as Robert Byrne) |
| Dick Colean | ... | assistant cameraman |
| George Hill | ... | key grip |
| Leonard Lookabaugh | ... | dolly grip |
| Lou Noto | ... | assistant cameraman (as Louis Noto) |
| Lawrence E. Peets | ... | best boy (as Larry Peets) |
| Paul Caven | ... | electrician (uncredited) |
| Jim Coe | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Pat Kelly | ... | costumer |
| Sandra Stewart | ... | costumer |
Script and Continuity Department
| Karen Hale Wookey | ... | script supervisor (as Karen Wookey) |
Transportation Department
| Gil Casper | ... | driver: camera car |
| Clyde Harper | ... | transportation captain |
Additional Crew
| Selma Brown | ... | production secretary |
| Neil Canton | ... | production assistant |
| Rudi Fehr | ... | records from the collection of |
| Richard Waltzer | ... | production assistant |
| Mae Woods | ... | assistant to the producer |
| Lou Dyer | ... | unit publicist (uncredited) |
| Ralph M. Leo | ... | production accountant (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Jack Benny | ... | special thanks |
| The Blue Sky Boys | ... | special thanks |
| Hoagy Carmichael & His Orchestra | ... | special thanks (as Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra) |
| Bing Crosby | ... | special thanks |
| Ramona Darby | ... | special thanks |
| Jimmie Davis | ... | special thanks |
| Jimmie Grier and His Orchestra | ... | special thanks |
| Peggy Healy | ... | special thanks |
| Jack Hylton and His Orchestra | ... | special thanks |
| Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders | ... | special thanks |
| Jim Jordan | ... | special thanks |
| Marian Jordan | ... | special thanks |
| Frank Luther | ... | special thanks |
| Enric Madriguera and Orchestra | ... | special thanks (as Enric Madriguera and His Orchestra) |
| Nat Gonella and His Georgians | ... | special thanks |
| Ozzie Nelson and Orchestra | ... | special thanks (as Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra) |
| Paul Whiteman and Orchestra | ... | special thanks (as Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra) |
| Dick Powell | ... | special thanks |
| Leo Reisman and His Orchestra | ... | special thanks |
| Larry Stewart | ... | special thanks |
| Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra | ... | special thanks (as Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra) |
| Victor Young and His Orchestra | ... | special thanks |
| Don Wilson | ... | special thanks |
Production Companies
- The Directors Company (presents) (a Peter Bogdanovich film)
- Saticoy Productions
- Paramount Pictures
Distributors
- Paramount Pictures (1973) (United States) (theatrical) (as Paramount A Gulf+Western Company®)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1973) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1974) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Paramount Films of India (1975) (India) (theatrical)
- CBS (1976) (United States) (tv)
- Paramount Pictures (1980) (United States) (VHS)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (1998) (United States) (VHS)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- Cine Plus Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (France) (DVD)
- Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Spinalonga Films (2013) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Eureka Entertainment (2015) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2020) (United States) (tv) (digital)
- Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
- People in and around Hays, Kansas and St. Joseph, Missouri (special thanks)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Set in the midwest of the depression-era, Paper Moon follows Moses Pray and Addie Loggins - one a con artist, the other, the young girl who's the daughter of a woman who's just passed away. The pair meet when 'Mose' stops by the sparsely-attended funeral in Kansas of a woman he once knew (we never see her). In attendance, is the woman's young daughter, Addie, whom Moses agrees to transport to St Joseph, Mo -- for money, of course. Mose - an inveterate hustler, has been working ostensibly as a representative of the Kansas Bible Company - who picks his marks from the obits, and tries to sell - at exorbitant prices - the decedents' spouse the custom bible they'd previously ordered. Wise beyond her years, Addie picks up on Moses' grift, and very quickly, she and Mose become a team. Traveling from town to town, making money in every dishonest way imaginable, and looking for the ultimate score. The colorful characters they meet along the way make the film all the more interesting. One in particular - Miss Trixie Delight - an exotic dancer who Mose rescues from a traveling carnival and the girl who works for her, poor, suffering Imogene. Addie sees Miss Delight as a potential rival, and she concocts a plan with Imogene to free themselves of her. The film's peppered with regional dialogue, one of the most memorable line's uttered when Mose is forced to wrestle a backwoodsman in order to trade his new car for the hillbilly's battered old truck; "make him say calf-rope, Leroy!" one of the observers calls out. Paper Moon, directed by Peter Bogdonovich is adapted from the novel, "Addie Pray" (1971) by Joe David Brown.
Written by MARK FLEETWOOD |
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| Taglines | These aren't everyday people and this is no ordinary movie. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
| Budget | $2,500,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Tatum O'Neal was ten years old when she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in this movie, making her the youngest person ever to win an Oscar in a competitive category. As of 2023, she still holds this record. She was four years younger than her rival nominee, Linda Blair, in The Exorcist (1973). See more » |
| Goofs | Fibber McGee's famous "closet gag", so anticipated by Addie while listening to the radio, didn't start until 1940. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into The Clock (2010). See more » |
| Soundtracks | It's Only a Paper Moon See more » |
| Crazy Credits | Special thanks to the people in and around Hays, Kansas and St. Joseph, Missouri See more » |
| Quotes |
[repeated line]
Addie Loggins: I want my two hundred dollars! See more » |