Awards: Academy Award for Beste Female Actress - Tatum O'Neal
Golden Globe for the Most Promising Newcomer Female - Tatum O'Neal
In the American Midwest in the 30's, a bible salesman and an orphan
little girl make a great con team.
Ryan O'Neal is a Depression-era con artist who likes
to pass himself off as a Bible salesman.
Tatum O'Neal is the precocious orphan he's inherited
at a family funeral--who turns out to be his long-lost
daughter. Their efforts to fleece fellow denizens of the dust
bowl make for some good farce.
Tatum became the youngest Oscar winner in history when she won the
Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in April, 1974. Dressed in a tiny
tuxedo and accompanied by her grandparents (her dad was shooting 'Barry Lyndon'
in London, UK), Tatum bounded on stage and solemnly thanked her
father and director Peter Bogdanovich for their support. Later that evening she
called Ryan in London, reaching him at dawn. "Daddy, Daddy," she shrieked over
the phone. "You did it!" Ryan said, adding that the statuette was "pure gold."
"No," Tatum deadpanned. "I think it's bronze."
Tatum's young competitor for the Oscar, Linda Blair, had to scream the F-word
and spew green slop in 'The Exorcist'. While, some not so kindly reported that all
Tatum had to do was saw "winky tinky" and smoke cigarettes.
Director Peter Bogdanovich - who evokes an American past,
as he did in The Last Picture Show, by filming in a silvery
black and white that recalls John Ford's 'The Grapes of Wrath'.
That austere, haunted visual quality is the main thing one
remembers over time, along with sparkling flashes of strong
father-daughter chemistry between the two O'Neals.
This was Tatum O'Neal's film debut, and no one would ever
forget it, especially Tatum O'Neal, who won a Best Supporting
Actress Oscar for her performance (over costar Kahn).
For Bogdanovich, the grown-up little girl provided "one of the
most miserable experiences of my life".
The picture was filmed on location near Hays, Kansas, and
St. Joseph, Missouri. The highly effective musical backdrop for
the picture is a procession of period tunes from the record
collection of Rudi Fehr.
One year after the movie, the 'Paper Moon' tv-series began with
Jodie Foster in the role as Addie Pray. Also the comic magazine 'MAD'
had a version of 'Paper Moon' (eh..with Alfred as Addie Pray..:)
I saw this movie in 1984-85, when I was 10-11 years young (same age
as Tatum was when she was doing the role). And I remember this
unusual girl very well, I bet it was her who got me interessted
in movies. Back then I didn't know her name was Tatum O'Neal and
that she won an Oscar 10 years old, but later I occasional
wondered which movie I only had this vaguely and beautiful
memory of. Today I know the story, and it's kinda sad. And that's the
reason I'd made this tribute to Tatum. She was my first
angel and I'll never forget and
I will always hope the best for Tatum, because her role in 'Paper Moon' will
always be in my heart...
