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.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 9 wins & 10 nominations total
James N. Harrell
- The Minister
- (as Jim Harrell)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
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 2023, she still holds this record. She was four years younger than her rival nominee, Linda Blair, in The Exorcist (1973).
- GoofsFibber McGee's famous "closet gag", so anticipated by Addie while listening to the radio, didn't start until 1940.
- Quotes
[repeated line]
Addie Loggins: I want my two hundred dollars!
- 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
Featured review
What's not to like?
As cute and sharp as it's 9-year-old star Tatum O'Neal, Paper Moon is a bona-fide gem that says that, one way or another, we're all con artists. The acting is wonderful (Ryan O'Neal was never better), the cinematography is exceptional and it's to the eternal credit of director Bogdanovich and his writer Alvin Sargeant that the caper never sinks into mushiness. By avoiding the earnestness that pervades so many Depression Era tales and perfectly balancing character with situation, it rolls along so merrily that you don't realise how touching it is until the very end.
Having (criminally) never seen Paper Moon before, I suspect that it must have had more than a passing influence on a great many other movies, including my all-time favourite Midnight Run. Watching it is an experience to be savoured and treasured, and one that I'm looking forward to repeating time and again.
Having (criminally) never seen Paper Moon before, I suspect that it must have had more than a passing influence on a great many other movies, including my all-time favourite Midnight Run. Watching it is an experience to be savoured and treasured, and one that I'm looking forward to repeating time and again.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Mjesec od papira
- Filming locations
- Wilson, Kansas, USA(Pray getting Addie's money at Robertson's mill, Hairdresser and General store on Avenue E)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $591
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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