Paper Moon is a 1973 American comedydrama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and released by Paramount Pictures. Screenwriter Alvin Sargent adapted the script from the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown. The film, shot in blackandwhite, is set in Kansas and Missouri during the Great Depression. It stars the reallife father and daughter pairing of Ryan and Tatum ONeal, as protagonists Moze and Addie.
At a local grain mill, Moses convinces the brother of the man who accidentally killed Addies mother, to give him two hundred dollars for the newly orphaned Addie. Addie overhears this conversation and, after Moses spends nearly half the money fixing his used Model A convertible, later demands the money whereupon Moses agrees to travel with Addie until he has raised two hundred dollars to give to her. Thereafter Moses visits recently widowed women, pretending to have recently sold an expensive, personalized Bible to the deceased husband, and the widows pay him for the bibles inscribed with their names. Addie joins the scam, pretending she is his daughter, and exhibits a talent for confidence tricks. As time passes, Moses and Addie become a formidable team.One night, Addie and Moze as Addie addresses him stop at a local carnival, where Moze becomes enthralled with an exotic dancer named Miss Trixie Delight Madeline Kahn, and leaves Addie at a photo booth to have her photograph taken alone of herself sitting on a crescent moon, to suggest the films title. Much to Addies chagrin, Moze invites Miss Trixieand her downtrodden maid, Imogene P.J. Johnsonto join him and Addie. Addie soon becomes friends with Imogene, and becomes jealous of Trixie. When Addie subsequently discovers that Moze has spent their money on a brandnew car to impress Miss Trixie, an elaborate series of maneuvers on Addies and Imogenes part results in Moze catching Miss Trixie in bed with another man whereupon Moze leaves Miss Trixie and Imogene behind, while Addie leaves Imogene enough money to pay for her own passage home. ........
Source: Wikipedia