Paper Moon
“As P.T. Barnum put it, "There's a sucker born every minute."”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-10-27
Top Cast
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Ryan O'Neal
Moses Pray
Tatum O'Neal
Addie Loggins
Madeline Kahn
Trixie Delight
John Hillerman
Deputy Hardin / Jess Hardin
Burton Gilliam
Floyd
P.J. Johnson
Imogene
James N. Harrell
The Minister
Noble Willingham
Mr. Robertson
Randy Quaid
Leroy
Hugh Gillin
2nd Deputy
Rose-Mary Rumbley
Aunt Billie
Jessie Lee Fulton
Miss Ollie
Desmond Dhooge
Cotton Candy Man
Art Ellison
Silver Mine Gentleman
Lila Waters
The Minister's Wife
Bob Young
Gas Station Attendant
Jack Saunders
Station Master
Jody Wilbur
Cafe Waitress
Release History & Theatrical Window
New York City, New York
Festival / Special Debut
May 9, 1973
Wide Cinema Exhibition
October 1, 2003
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$30.9M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
12.36x
+$28.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Peter Bogdanovich
- Screenplay & Story
- Alvin Sargent
- Original Title
- Paper Moon
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 42m
- Production Budget
- $2.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $30.9M
- Production Studios
- The Directors Company, Saticoy Productions, Paramount Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Peter Bogdanovich
Alvin Sargent, Joe David Brown
László Kovács
Verna Fields
Peter Bogdanovich
Department Leadership Roster
Peter Bogdanovich
Director
Alvin Sargent
Screenplay
Peter Bogdanovich
Producer
László Kovács
Director of Photography
Verna Fields
Editor
Polly Platt
Production Design
Polly Platt
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Paper Moon.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Paper Moon.
Movie Collection
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:35:27 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
Limelight Not Seen
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Frequently Asked Questions About Paper Moon
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Paper Moon about?
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.
Who directed Paper Moon?
Paper Moon was directed by Peter Bogdanovich.
Who stars in Paper Moon?
The principal cast of Paper Moon includes Ryan O'Neal, Tatum O'Neal, Madeline Kahn, John Hillerman, Burton Gilliam.
When was Paper Moon released and how long is it?
Paper Moon was released in 1973 with a total runtime of 1h 42m.
What was the box office and production budget of Paper Moon?
Paper Moon had a reported production budget of $2.5M and grossed $30.9M at the worldwide box office (12.36 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Is Paper Moon based on a book or true story?
Paper Moon is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Joe David Brown".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Paper Moon?
Paper Moon holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).