University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

A Man And A Moppet

PAPER MOON. Directed and produced by Peter
Bogdanovich. Screenplay by Alvin Sargent, based upon the
novel "Addie Pray" by Joe David Brown. Starring Ryan
O'Neal, Tatum O'Neal, Madeline Kahn, John Hillerman.
Released by Paramount. MPAA Rating: PG. Now at the
Paramount.

His name is Moses. Moses Pray. He sells bibles to
widows. Says their deceased husbands ordered them,
engraved with the missus' name. Only they didn't.
Still, seven dollars is seven dollars during the
Depression.

Her name is Addie. Addie Loggins. Her ma done
died and left her alone. Nary a relative, 'ceptin for an
aunt and uncle in St. Jo., Mo. Moses is to take her
there. But guess who calls the shots? Yup. That nine
year-old, cigarette-smoking, bible selling (twelve
dollars per) con artist.

Kinda cute.

And wouldn't ya know? They take a fancy to one
another – though neither says so, in so many words.
A good team. Orphan Annie and Sandy. Damon and
Pitheas. Moses and Addie.

They con their way through Kansas. She picks up
the loot. He picks up a harem dancer. She drops the
harem dancer. Come down, Moses.

He bootlegs some whiskey. Law catches 'em.
Roughs up Moses. Come home, Addie.

The end of the road?

"What a dance do they do,
Lordy how I'm tellin' you..."

That fella Bogdanovich. Likes the past. Knows
how to evoke its mood. Black-and-white, even. Kinda
nice, for a change. Why, it's almost like goin' to the
movies back in the good ol' days. When things were
more simple.

"Happy days are here again,
The skies above are clear again,
Let us sing a song of cheer again..."

Remembrance of good times past. Probably why
his style works. Back then corruption was selling
bibles to unsuspecting widows. Kinda innocent, come
to think of it.

Hey, look at that landscape. Sure is purty. Barren
and windblown. What are those two specks on it?
Why, it's people. Sure do blend in nice. This fella
Bogdanovich; he composes pictures. Hollywood folk
call 'em frames. Each one kinda says somethin' to ya,
don't it? The man knows his craft. Unusual in these
days.

Knows his actors, too. Ryan O'Neal. Wouldn't
have thought he'd come across as a small time con
man. Pleasant surprise.

Tatum O'Neal. Ryan's daughter. Who'da thought
talent would run in the family like that? Who'da
thought a con artist could be so cute?

"It's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea.
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me."

Cornmeal sentiment? Well, shucks, yeah. We
expect it. That's the way it was back when Spanky
and Alfalfa were growing up. Our gang just ain't the
same.

Bogdanovich knows it.

And treasures it.

And...ssh...makes a' lot of money off it.

Which means this won't be his last picture show.

—Steve Wells