Paper Moon (film)
Encyclopedia
Paper Moon is a 1973 American comedy film
directed by Peter Bogdanovich
and released by Paramount Pictures
. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Addie Pray
by Joe David Brown
, and the film was shot in black-and-white
. The film is set during the Great Depression
in the U.S. states of Kansas
and Missouri
. It starred the real life father and daughter pairing of Ryan
and Tatum O'Neal
, as on-screen father and daughter Moze and Addie.
) and young Addie Loggins (Tatum O'Neal
), an orphaned daughter of a prostitute. Because Moze had once had an affair with her mother (and because the girl "has his jaw"), there is speculation that he is in fact Addie's father (which he denies). Moze is charged with bringing Addie to her aunt's home. Along the way, Moze manages to convince the brother of the man who drove his car into a tree, killing Addie's mother, into giving him two hundred dollars for Addie. Addie overhears this conversation and later demands the money. Because he spent nearly half of the money on car repairs, Moze agrees to travel with Addie until he has raised two hundred dollars to give to her. Addie soon learns how Moze makes his money: he finds recently widowed women and visits them pretending to be a Bible salesman who recently sold an expensive, personalized Bible to the deceased husband. The widows usually overpay him for the books inscribed with their names. Addie joins in the scam, pretending to be his daughter, and exhibits a talent for larceny. As time passes, Moze and Addie become a formidable team and seem to forget about Addie joining her aunt.
As they travel, Moze picks up a stripper named Miss Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn
) and her downtrodden African American maid Imogene (P.J. Johnson). Although Addie becomes friends with Imogene, she becomes jealous of how Moze begins to focus more and more of his attention to Miss Trixie. When Addie discovers that Moze spent all their money on a new car to impress Miss Trixie, she quickly devises a plan to get rid of her, meanwhile giving Imogene enough money to get back to her mother. An elaborate series of moves results in Moze catching Miss Trixie in bed with another man. Devastated, Moze leaves Miss Trixie and Imogene behind.
At a hotel, Moze is able to find a bootlegger's store of whiskey, steals some of it, and sells it back to the bootlegger. Unfortunately, the bootlegger's brother is the sheriff, who quickly arrests Moze and Addie. Addie hides their money, steals back the key to their car, and the pair escape trading their car for a farm truck, after Moze beats Leroy (Randy Quaid
) in a 'wrasslin' match after which they make across State line to Missouri, where the Kansas law can't follow them. The sheriff finds them in Missouri, and unable to arrest Moze, he beats and robs him. Humiliated, Moze drops Addie at her aunt's house. Left alone briefly in her aunt's house, Addie runs out the door and up the road, finding Moze where he has stopped to look at the photo, of Addie sitting in a quarter moon, that she left for him on the passenger seat. She reminds him that he still does owe her two hundred dollars, and they drive off together.
; Wilson, Kansas
; and St. Joseph, Missouri. Set includes the Midland Hotel of Wilson, Kansas
. Location scenes included street and buildings on Main Street in White Cloud, Kansas
, viewed from a distance from both sides of the Missouri River
, and Hays, Kansas
and Saint Joseph, Missouri
.
and was to star Paul Newman
and his daughter, Nell Potts. However, when Huston left the project, the Newmans became dissociated from the film as well. Peter Bogdanovich
had just completed What's Up, Doc?
and was looking for another project when his ex-wife and frequent collaborator Polly Platt
recommended filming Joe David Brown's script for the novel Addie Pray. Bogdanovich, a fan of period films, and having two young daughters of his own, found himself drawn to the story, and selected it as his next film.
(by Billy Rose
, Yip Harburg
, and Harold Arlen
). Seeking advice from his close friend and mentor Orson Welles
, Bogdanovich listed Paper Moon as a possible alternative. Welles responded — "That title is so good, you shouldn't even make the picture, you should just release the title!" Director of photography László Kovács
used a red filter on the camera on Welles' advice. Bogdanovich also used deep focus
cinematography
and extended takes in the film.
- to midwestern Kansas
and Missouri
.
, Bogdanovich approached eight-year-old Tatum O'Neal
to audition for the role although she had no acting experience. Bogdanovich had recently worked with Tatum's father Ryan O'Neal
on What's Up, Doc?
, and decided to cast them as the leads.
. While Vincent Canby
of the New York Times found the juxtaposition of the saccharin-sweet plot with Laszlo Kovacs' stark black-and-white images of Depression-era poverty unsettling, Roger Ebert
, who gave the film his top rating, found the mix to be the film's greatest virtue.
won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
for her role as Addie. She is the youngest winner in the history of the Academy Awards
. Co-star Madeline Kahn
was also nominated for that award that year but lost to Tatum. The film itself was nominated for Best Sound (Richard Portman
, Les Fresholtz
).
In September 1974, a television series called Paper Moon
, based on the film, premiered on the ABC
television network, with Jodie Foster
cast as Addie and Christopher Connelly (who had appeared as O'Neal's brother in the earlier ABC series, Peyton Place
) playing Moses. However, it was not a ratings success and it left the air in January 1975.
prompted O'Neal to cast his daughter.
References to Paper Moon have appeared in several different popular media. "The Great Money Caper
", an episode of The Simpsons
, shares a similar plot point to the movie. When Homer
and Bart
try to trick Ned Flanders
into receiving a fake Bible
by saying that his deceased wife, Maude, ordered it before she died, Ned says after a few moments, "Wait a minute, this is an awful lot like that movie Paper Moon...".
The song lyrics for "Sitting on a Paper Moon" by The Pillows
from their album White Incarnation
are based on this movie.
The movie is also referenced by the Drive by Truckers in their song "Birthday Boy".
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola...
and released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Addie Pray
Addie Pray
Addie Pray is a novel by Joe David Brown. It was the basis for the movie Paper Moon directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The novel was re-printed in 2002 as a paperback with the title Paper Moon: A Novel....
by Joe David Brown
Joe David Brown
Joe David Brown was an American novelist and journalist from Birmingham, Alabama. He drew memorably from his own life to compose his fiction: his grandfather's role as a minister, his own knowledge of confidence games from his work as a reporter, his World War II experiences, and his residence on...
, and the film was shot in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
. The film is set during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the U.S. states of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. It starred the real life father and daughter pairing of Ryan
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
and Tatum O'Neal
Tatum O'Neal
Tatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress best known for her film work as a child actress in the 1970s. She is the youngest to win a competitive Academy Award, at the age of 10, which she won for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon opposite her father Ryan O'Neal...
, as on-screen father and daughter Moze and Addie.
Plot
The story follows con man Moses Pray (Ryan O'NealRyan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
) and young Addie Loggins (Tatum O'Neal
Tatum O'Neal
Tatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress best known for her film work as a child actress in the 1970s. She is the youngest to win a competitive Academy Award, at the age of 10, which she won for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon opposite her father Ryan O'Neal...
), an orphaned daughter of a prostitute. Because Moze had once had an affair with her mother (and because the girl "has his jaw"), there is speculation that he is in fact Addie's father (which he denies). Moze is charged with bringing Addie to her aunt's home. Along the way, Moze manages to convince the brother of the man who drove his car into a tree, killing Addie's mother, into giving him two hundred dollars for Addie. Addie overhears this conversation and later demands the money. Because he spent nearly half of the money on car repairs, Moze agrees to travel with Addie until he has raised two hundred dollars to give to her. Addie soon learns how Moze makes his money: he finds recently widowed women and visits them pretending to be a Bible salesman who recently sold an expensive, personalized Bible to the deceased husband. The widows usually overpay him for the books inscribed with their names. Addie joins in the scam, pretending to be his daughter, and exhibits a talent for larceny. As time passes, Moze and Addie become a formidable team and seem to forget about Addie joining her aunt.
As they travel, Moze picks up a stripper named Miss Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn was an American actress. Kahn was known primarily for her comedic roles in films such as Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, What's Up, Doc?, and Clue.-Early life:...
) and her downtrodden African American maid Imogene (P.J. Johnson). Although Addie becomes friends with Imogene, she becomes jealous of how Moze begins to focus more and more of his attention to Miss Trixie. When Addie discovers that Moze spent all their money on a new car to impress Miss Trixie, she quickly devises a plan to get rid of her, meanwhile giving Imogene enough money to get back to her mother. An elaborate series of moves results in Moze catching Miss Trixie in bed with another man. Devastated, Moze leaves Miss Trixie and Imogene behind.
At a hotel, Moze is able to find a bootlegger's store of whiskey, steals some of it, and sells it back to the bootlegger. Unfortunately, the bootlegger's brother is the sheriff, who quickly arrests Moze and Addie. Addie hides their money, steals back the key to their car, and the pair escape trading their car for a farm truck, after Moze beats Leroy (Randy Quaid
Randy Quaid
Randall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
) in a 'wrasslin' match after which they make across State line to Missouri, where the Kansas law can't follow them. The sheriff finds them in Missouri, and unable to arrest Moze, he beats and robs him. Humiliated, Moze drops Addie at her aunt's house. Left alone briefly in her aunt's house, Addie runs out the door and up the road, finding Moze where he has stopped to look at the photo, of Addie sitting in a quarter moon, that she left for him on the passenger seat. She reminds him that he still does owe her two hundred dollars, and they drive off together.
Filming Location
The film was shot in the small towns of McCracken, KansasMcCracken, Kansas
McCracken is a city in Rush County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 190.-Geography:McCracken is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 211...
; Wilson, Kansas
Wilson, Kansas
Wilson is a city in Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 781.-History:The Butterfield Overland Despatch built a stagecoach station one-half mile south of present-day Wilson in 1865. Three years later, the Kansas Pacific Railway built Wilson...
; and St. Joseph, Missouri. Set includes the Midland Hotel of Wilson, Kansas
Wilson, Kansas
Wilson is a city in Ellsworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 781.-History:The Butterfield Overland Despatch built a stagecoach station one-half mile south of present-day Wilson in 1865. Three years later, the Kansas Pacific Railway built Wilson...
. Location scenes included street and buildings on Main Street in White Cloud, Kansas
White Cloud, Kansas
White Cloud is a city in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States. It was named for James White Cloud, son of Chief White Cloud of the Iowa Tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 176. White Cloud is the seat of government for the Iowa Reservation of Kansas and Nebraska...
, viewed from a distance from both sides of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, and Hays, Kansas
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
and Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
.
Director
The film project was originally associated with John HustonJohn Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
and was to star Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
and his daughter, Nell Potts. However, when Huston left the project, the Newmans became dissociated from the film as well. Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola...
had just completed What's Up, Doc?
What's Up, Doc? (1972 film)
What's Up, Doc? is a 1972 screwball comedy film released by Warner Bros., directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, and Madeline Kahn...
and was looking for another project when his ex-wife and frequent collaborator Polly Platt
Polly Platt
Mary Marr "Polly" Platt was an American film producer, production designer and screenwriter.-Early life:Platt was born Mary Marr Platt in Fort Sheridan, Illinois on January 29, 1939, later using the name Polly. Her father John was a colonel in the army while her mother Vivian worked in...
recommended filming Joe David Brown's script for the novel Addie Pray. Bogdanovich, a fan of period films, and having two young daughters of his own, found himself drawn to the story, and selected it as his next film.
Title
Peter Bogdanovich also decided to change the name of the film. While selecting music for the film, he heard the song It's Only a Paper MoonIt's Only a Paper Moon (song)
"It's Only a Paper Moon" is a popular song. Published in 1933, it was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and Billy Rose. It was written originally for an unsuccessful Broadway play called The Great Magoo, set in Coney Island. It was subsequently used in the movie Take a Chance, in...
(by Billy Rose
Billy Rose
William "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
, Yip Harburg
Yip Harburg
Edgar Yipsel Harburg , known as E.Y. Harburg or Yip Harburg, was an American popular song lyricist who worked with many well-known composers...
, and Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
). Seeking advice from his close friend and mentor Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, Bogdanovich listed Paper Moon as a possible alternative. Welles responded — "That title is so good, you shouldn't even make the picture, you should just release the title!" Director of photography László Kovács
László Kovács (cinematographer)
László Kovács, A.S.C. was a Hungarian cinematographer who was influential in the development of American New Wave films. Most famous for his award-winning work on Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces, Kovács was the recipient of numerous awards, including three Lifetime Achievement Awards...
used a red filter on the camera on Welles' advice. Bogdanovich also used deep focus
Deep focus
Deep focus is a photographic and cinematographic technique using a large depth of field. Depth of field is the front-to-back range of focus in an image — that is, how much of it appears sharp and clear. Consequently, in deep focus the foreground, middle-ground and background are all in focus...
cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
and extended takes in the film.
Screenplay
Various changes were made in adapting the book to film. Addie's age was reduced from twelve to nine to accommodate young Tatum, several events from the book were combined for pacing issues, and the last third of the novel, when Moses and Addie graduate to the big leagues as con artists after going into partnership with a fake millionaire, was dropped. The location was also changed from the rural south of the novel - primarily AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
- to midwestern Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Casting
At the suggestion of Polly PlattPolly Platt
Mary Marr "Polly" Platt was an American film producer, production designer and screenwriter.-Early life:Platt was born Mary Marr Platt in Fort Sheridan, Illinois on January 29, 1939, later using the name Polly. Her father John was a colonel in the army while her mother Vivian worked in...
, Bogdanovich approached eight-year-old Tatum O'Neal
Tatum O'Neal
Tatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress best known for her film work as a child actress in the 1970s. She is the youngest to win a competitive Academy Award, at the age of 10, which she won for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon opposite her father Ryan O'Neal...
to audition for the role although she had no acting experience. Bogdanovich had recently worked with Tatum's father Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
on What's Up, Doc?
What's Up, Doc? (1972 film)
What's Up, Doc? is a 1972 screwball comedy film released by Warner Bros., directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, and Madeline Kahn...
, and decided to cast them as the leads.
Reviews
It currently holds a 90 percent approval rating from critics, based on 22 reviews, at Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. While Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
of the New York Times found the juxtaposition of the saccharin-sweet plot with Laszlo Kovacs' stark black-and-white images of Depression-era poverty unsettling, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, who gave the film his top rating, found the mix to be the film's greatest virtue.
Awards
Tatum O'NealTatum O'Neal
Tatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress best known for her film work as a child actress in the 1970s. She is the youngest to win a competitive Academy Award, at the age of 10, which she won for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon opposite her father Ryan O'Neal...
won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
for her role as Addie. She is the youngest winner in the history of the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
. Co-star Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn was an American actress. Kahn was known primarily for her comedic roles in films such as Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, What's Up, Doc?, and Clue.-Early life:...
was also nominated for that award that year but lost to Tatum. The film itself was nominated for Best Sound (Richard Portman
Richard Portman
Richard Portman is an American sound engineer. He won an Academy Award for Best Sound and has been nominated for ten more in the same category...
, Les Fresholtz
Les Fresholtz
Les Fresholtz was an American sound engineer. He won two Academy Awards for Best Sound and was nominated for ten more in the same category. He worked on over 110 films between 1968 and 1996.-Selected filmography:...
).
In September 1974, a television series called Paper Moon
Paper Moon (TV series)
Paper Moon is a short-lived situation comedy which aired on ABC during the fall of 1974, starring Christopher Connelly and Jodie Foster in the roles of Moses Pray and his presumed daughter, Addie...
, based on the film, premiered on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network, with Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
cast as Addie and Christopher Connelly (who had appeared as O'Neal's brother in the earlier ABC series, Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
) playing Moses. However, it was not a ratings success and it left the air in January 1975.
Cast
- Ryan O'NealRyan O'NealCharles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
as Moze Pray - Tatum O'NealTatum O'NealTatum Beatrice O'Neal is an American actress best known for her film work as a child actress in the 1970s. She is the youngest to win a competitive Academy Award, at the age of 10, which she won for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon opposite her father Ryan O'Neal...
as Addie Loggins - Madeline KahnMadeline KahnMadeline Kahn was an American actress. Kahn was known primarily for her comedic roles in films such as Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, What's Up, Doc?, and Clue.-Early life:...
as Trixie Delight - John HillermanJohn HillermanJohn Benedict Hillerman is an American actor, known for his starring role on the television show Magnum, P.I.-Early life:...
as Deputy Hardin/Jess Hardin - Burton GilliamBurton GilliamBurton Gilliam is an American actor.-Career:Prior to acting, Gilliam was a member of the Coast Guard's boxing team and reportedly posted a record of 201 wins out of 217 fights during his enlistment. Gilliam was credited with winning more Golden Gloves bouts than anyone in its history at that time...
as Floyd - P.J. Johnson as Imogene
- Jessie Lee Fulton as Miss Ollie
- James N. HarrellJames N. HarrellJames Nelson Harrell , also known as James N. Harrell, was an American actor. He had roles in such films as JFK, Varsity Blues, Michael, Hope Floats, Leap of Faith, Paper Moon, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Flesh & Bone, and Noon Wine...
as The Minister - Lila Waters as The Minister's Wife
- Noble WillinghamNoble WillinghamNoble Henry Willingham, Jr. was an American television and film actor.-Career:Willingham had appeared in more than thirty feature films, including Harry's War , Up Close and Personal , City Slickers , The Last Boy Scout , City Slickers II , Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , Chinatown...
as Mr. Robertson - Bob Young as Gas Station Attendant
- Jack Saunders as Station Master
- Jody Wilbur as Cafe Waitress
- Liz Ross as The Widow Morgan (Pearl)
- Yvonne Harrison as The Widow Bates (Marie)
- Dorothy Price as Ribbon Saleslady
- Randy QuaidRandy QuaidRandall Rudy "Randy" Quaid is an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies, as well as his numerous supporting roles in films, including his Oscar nominated performance in The Last Detail, Independence Day, Kingpin and Brokeback Mountain...
as Leroy
In popular culture
In a parody of the film in Mad magazine, an introductory speech delivered (hypothetically) by Ryan O'Neal has him saying that nepotismNepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
prompted O'Neal to cast his daughter.
References to Paper Moon have appeared in several different popular media. "The Great Money Caper
The Great Money Caper
"The Great Money Caper" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 10, 2000. In the episode, Homer, along with his son Bart, con people out of their money in order to pay for Homer's broken car...
", an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, shares a similar plot point to the movie. When Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
try to trick Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
into receiving a fake Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
by saying that his deceased wife, Maude, ordered it before she died, Ned says after a few moments, "Wait a minute, this is an awful lot like that movie Paper Moon...".
The song lyrics for "Sitting on a Paper Moon" by The Pillows
The Pillows
The Pillows are a Japanese rock band. The group has released more than a dozen original studio albums, along with several EPs, singles and compilations...
from their album White Incarnation
WHITE INCARNATION
White Incarnation is an album released by The Pillows on May 21, 1992. It is the band's last record to feature the original lineup, as bassist Kenji Ueda left shortly after...
are based on this movie.
The movie is also referenced by the Drive by Truckers in their song "Birthday Boy".
External links
- http://www.yoursdaily.com/culture_media/movies/bogdanovich_receives_visionary_award