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:

Bible | Great Depression | Carnival | Con | Con Man

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

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

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Company:

Directors Company, The

Trivia:

Originally starred Paul Newman and daughter Nell Potts, but this changed when original director John Huston bowed out and was replaced by Peter Bogdanovich.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: During the final scene when Mose and Addie are driving off down a long dirt road, there's a clearly visible contrail from a high altitude plane across the sky in the distance. The film was set in the early-1930s when high altitude flights were far from commonplace.

Quotes:

Moses Pray: I know a woman who looks like a bullfrog but that don't mean she's the damn thing's mother.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wanderlust (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

My Mary

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.