Paper Moon is a 1973 American road comedy-drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich and released by Paramount Pictures.

Imogene reveals that Trixie works, at least occasionally, as a prostitute, and it is suggested she has a venereal disease causing her a frequent need to urinate.

When Addie subsequently discovers that Moze has spent their money on a brand-new Model 48 convertible to impress Miss Trixie, she and Imogene devise a plan.

To elude pursuit, they trade their new car for a decrepit Model T farm truck after Moze beats a hillbilly, Leroy, in a "rasslin' match".

The film project was originally associated with John Huston and was to star Paul Newman and his daughter, who was a child actor at the time named Nell Potts.

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.

[6] At the suggestion of Polly Platt, Bogdanovich approached eight-year-old Tatum O'Neal to audition for the role, although she had no acting experience.

While selecting music for the film, he heard the song "It's Only a Paper Moon" 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.

[11] Vincent Canby of The New York Times praised "two first-class performances" from Ryan and Tatum O'Neal but found the film "oddly depressing" and unable to "make up its mind whether it wants to be an instant antique or a comment on one".

[12] Roger Ebert gave the film his top four-star rating and commented that "a genre movie about a con man and a little girl is teamed up with the real poverty and desperation of Kansas and Missouri, circa 1936.

You wouldn't think the two approaches would fit together, somehow, but, they do, and the movie comes off as more honest and affecting than if Bogdanovich had simply paid tribute to older styles".

"[14] Arthur D. Murphy in Variety called Tatum O'Neal "outstanding" and added, "Alvin Sargent's screenplay is a major contributor to the overall excellent results".

[15] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that Tatum O'Neal was "just plain marvelous and Paper Moon is a tough, funny, beautifully calculated diversion".

The website's consensus reads: "Expertly balancing tones, Paper Moon is a deft blend of film nostalgia and finely tuned performances -- especially from Tatum O'Neal, who won an Oscar for her debut.

[25][26] In The Simpsons episode "The Great Money Caper", Homer and Bart conduct a series of cons, initially to pay to repair the family car.