Paper Moon (1973)

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Joe David Brown (novel)
Alvin Sargent (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 May 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Humor | Across State Lines | On The Road | Door To Door | Kansas

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. July 29

1:00 AM

TCM

Cast

Ryan O'Neal	...	Moses Pray
Tatum O'Neal	...	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)
Dorothy Price	...	Ribbon Saleslady

Also Known As:

Ay beyazdir (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Barbe à papa, La (France) [fr]
Lua de Papel (Portugal) [pt]
Luna de papel (Spain) [es]
Luna di carta (Italy) [it]
Paperikuu (Finland) [fi]
Papierowy ksiezyc (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | Norway:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Company:

Directors Company, The

Trivia:

Peter Bogdanovich didn't like the title of the novel "Addie Pray", but wasn't sure whether "Paper Moon" was good enough; so he asked his mentor Orson Welles what he thought about it. Welles replied, "That title is so good, you shouldn't even make the picture, just release the title!"

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: On several occasions throughout the picture, autos can be seen speeding away, with tires screeching as though on asphalt, even though the vehicles are almost always on dirt roads.

Quotes:

Moses Pray: I got scruples too, you know. You know what that is? Scruples?
Addie Loggins: No, I don't know what it is, but if you got 'em, it's a sure bet they belong to somebody else!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

About a Quarter to Nine

Wonderfully Old Fashioned Damon Runyonesque Comedy

Ryan O'Neal plays a con-artist who meets his match when he bumps into Addie Pray (Tatum O'Neal), a little girl who is not as innocent as she seems to be (and who may or may not be his daughter). This enchanting film is a throwback to the kind of comedies that flourished during the depression era. Director Bogdanovich applies to this movie the same careful attention to detail that characterized his most famous film, the unforgettable "The Last Picture Show." But I will argue that this film is even better when it comes to recreating a specific time in American history. It is a movie rich in period flavor, with a handful of genuinely colorful characterizations. Tatum received the Oscar (and most of the attention), but her real-life father Ryan is almost as good. The great Madeline Kahn is brilliant in her few scenes. Unfortunately for Kahn and O'Neal Sr., Tatum does get the best lines (and best close-ups), so she steals the movie. I'm not just talking about the quality of her acting, but I'm also referring to how much the camera is in love with her (courtesy of László Kovács' superb b/w photography). It is a funny, immensely entertaining movie in the best Damon Runyonesque way. A great delight from beginning to end.