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.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.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
- Joe David Brown(novel "Addie Pray")
- Alvin Sargent(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Joe David Brown(novel "Addie Pray")
- Alvin Sargent(screenplay)
- Stars
- Won 1 Oscar
- 8 wins & 10 nominations total
Videos1
James N. Harrell
- The Ministeras The Minister
- (as Jim Harrell)
- Director
- Writers
- Joe David Brown(novel "Addie Pray")
- Alvin Sargent(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
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. —MARK FLEETWOOD <mfleetwo@mail.coin.missouri.edu>
- Taglines
- These aren't everyday people and this is no ordinary movie.
- Genres
- Certificate
- K-8
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaTatum 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 2020, she still holds this record. She was four years younger than her rival nominee, Linda Blair, in Manaaja (1973).
- GoofsWhen Addie says, "Don't knock, use the key!" and sends Mose to Trixie's hotel room, we see a window behind Addie with a lace curtain. However, through this lace curtain, we can see cars that are of late 60s / early 70s style.
- Quotes
Addie Loggins: Daddy, I need to go to the shithouse.
- Crazy creditsSpecial thanks to the people in and around Hays, Kansas and St. Joseph, Missouri
- ConnectionsEdited into The Clock (2010)
- SoundtracksIt's Only a Paper Moon
(1933) (uncredited)
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and Billy Rose
Performed by Paul Whiteman and Orchestra
Vocal by Peggy Healy
Top review
A terrific film on all levels
Paper Moon has to be one of the finest pieces of American cinema to grace the 70's. Bogdanovich's direction bares a strong resemblance to The Last Picture Show, but overall this film is much more satisfying and enjoyable. The Black and White photography gives the film a nostalgic beauty that perfectly complements the Depression-era it attempts to recreate. Also notable is the charming Jazz-based score, with a wonderful opening title track, reinforcing the film's charm. As good as the story, direction and music are however, the true stars of the film are the O'Neal twosome. Both bring forth their best performances of their careers, and share a chemistry on screen that only a father and daughter could. Ryan O'Neal brings forth a subtle charm as the wise-talking, but inept hustler Moses Pray. Tatum however, even upstages her father with what has to be the best youth performance in history. She is funny and moving when need be, and always charming, eliciting laughs many times based solely on her malleable facial expressions. Her show-stopping five minute shot, no matter how long it took to film, proves just how fully Tatum was able to embody little Addie Pray. The movie is always entertaining, with never a dull spot, with a strong supporting performance by Madeline Kahn to help keep things rolling during the middle. This is a true classic that should be seen by people of all ages, I can't recommend it enough!
helpful•868
- grolt
- Feb 8, 2002
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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