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* TheAllegedCar: Moze is introduced arriving at a funeral in an antiquated jalopy that backfires so much that it disturbs the service. He uses his first influx of cash to fix it up. Later he replaces it with a new 1936 Cadillac, but has to trade ''that'' for a busted up truck that's even worse than his initial car. Its doors fall off and barely runs, to the point that he has to push it across the bridge over the Missouri River with Addie at the wheel.

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* TheAllegedCar: Moze is introduced arriving at a funeral in an antiquated jalopy that backfires so much that it disturbs the service. He uses his first influx of cash to fix it up. Later he replaces it with a new 1936 Cadillac, Cadillac but has to trade ''that'' for a busted up truck that's even worse than his initial car. Its doors fall off and barely runs, to the point that he has to push it across the bridge over the Missouri River with Addie at the wheel.



* CombatPragmatist: For a con man, Moze actually seems to be approaching his wresting duel with Leroy honorably. They establish that the rules will be [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_wrestling catch wrestling]] without shoes, but when Leroy goes for a trip, Moze comments that the rules seem to be out the window. He then [[LookBehindYou distracts Leroy]] and knocks him out with a haymaker and uppercut.



%% *DeliberatelyCuteChild: Addie's M.O.

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%% *DeliberatelyCuteChild: Addie's M.O.* DeliberatelyCuteChild: Addie plays up her innocence to sell the grifts that she and Moze pull.



* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Moze's questionable morals are expressed in the opening scene where he steals the flowers from a random grave.

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* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Moze's questionable morals are expressed EstablishingCharacterMoment:
** Moze arrives late to a funeral
in the opening scene where he a back-firing jalopy and steals the flowers from another grave, establishing him as a random grave.freewheeling rogue.
** Addie demands the $200 that Moze conned from a local on her behalf and starts making a scene to put pressure on Moze, establishing her as a canny and strong-willed child.



%%* GoldDigger: Miss Trixie, full stop.

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%%* * GoldDigger: Miss Trixie, full stop.Trixie is only sticking around Moze because he's free with his cash.



%% * {{Hustler}}: Moze and Addie.

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%% * {{Hustler}}: Moze is a professional grifter, and Addie.Addie becomes his protoge.



* LookBehindYou: Moze tells Leroy to watch his footing and then punches him out while the redneck is distracted.



* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Addie realizes that her KidsPlayMatchBreaker stunt might actually result in violence and runs to call it off, but she finds that Moze has simply walked away.



** Similarly, the scene at the carnival where Addie tricks the cotton candy vendor and then fights with Moze over his new friend Trixie Delight runs for almost two minutes.

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** Similarly, the The scene at the carnival where Addie tricks the cotton candy vendor and then fights with Moze over his new friend Trixie Delight runs for almost two minutes.minutes.
** The scene where Addie and Moze decide to end their partnership, chart a route to the train station, decide to work the towns in between, and then call it all off to have lunch is all shot in a single take.



* PetTheDog: Addie stops Moze from swindling a widow whose house is packed with small children. As the very next scene shows, though, she has no qualms about overcharging people with money to spare.

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* PetTheDog: PeriodPiece: The film takes place during the Depression Era of the 1930s, during FDR's presidency.
* PetTheDog:
**
Addie stops Moze from swindling a widow whose house is packed with small children. As the very next scene shows, though, she has no qualms about overcharging people with money to spare.spare.
** Moze is a conman and is pretty lacking as a parental figure, but when Imogen warns Addie that most men would kill a man for sleeping with his girl, Addie discovers that Moze has simply walked away. For all his faults, Moze isn't a violent man.



* {{Tomboy}}: Addie has a boyish haircut and often wears boyish clothes. Early on a couple of adult characters anger her by [[LadyLooksLikeADude mistaking her for a boy]].

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* {{Tomboy}}: Addie has a boyish haircut and often wears boyish clothes. Early on on, a couple of adult characters anger her by [[LadyLooksLikeADude mistaking her for a boy]].



* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: Addie acts more like an adult than a child. Moze's and the audience's image of her as cute and innocent is shattered when she whips out a cigarette.

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* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: Addie acts more like an adult than a child. Moze's and the audience's image of her as cute and innocent is shattered when she whips out a cigarette.cigarette and lights a match with her thumbnail.



* VisualTitleDrop: At a carnival there's a guy who snaps photographs of couples sitting on a literal paper moon. Addie gets her picture taken alone, although the poster art depicts both her and Mose on it.[[note]]This scene was written into the carnival scene so that the audience wouldn't wonder what the TitledAfterTheSong movie title referred to.[[/note]]

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* VisualTitleDrop: At a carnival there's a guy who snaps photographs of couples sitting on Although the film was TitledAfterTheSong, a literal paper moon. moon factors into the plot when Addie gets has her picture taken alone, although the on a paper moon prop at a carnival. She later gifts it to Moze. The movie's poster art depicts features a version with both her and Mose on it.[[note]]This scene was written into the carnival scene so that the audience wouldn't wonder what the TitledAfterTheSong movie title referred to.[[/note]]
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* TheAllegedCar: The truck Moze trades his 1936 Cadillac for. The driver's side door falls off when Moze tries to open it, and neither the ignition nor the brakes are very reliable, so that Moze has to push it across a bridge over the Missouri River with Addie at the wheel.

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* TheAllegedCar: The Moze is introduced arriving at a funeral in an antiquated jalopy that backfires so much that it disturbs the service. He uses his first influx of cash to fix it up. Later he replaces it with a new 1936 Cadillac, but has to trade ''that'' for a busted up truck Moze trades that's even worse than his 1936 Cadillac for. The driver's side door falls initial car. Its doors fall off when Moze tries to open it, and neither barely runs, to the ignition nor the brakes are very reliable, so point that Moze he has to push it across a the bridge over the Missouri River with Addie at the wheel.
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Creator/MadelineKahn appears as Miss Trixie Delight, a HighClassCallGirl.

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Creator/MadelineKahn appears as Miss Trixie Delight, a HighClassCallGirl.HighClassCallGirl who joins them for a spell.
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Creator/MadelineKahn appears as Miss Trixie, the HighClassCallGirl.

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Creator/MadelineKahn appears as Miss Trixie, the Trixie Delight, a HighClassCallGirl.
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* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray'', a title which Bogdanovich didn't like because it "sounded like a snake", so he came up with ''Paper Moon'' ( [[TitledAfterTheSong picked up from the 1935 hit song]] "It's Only a Paper Moon", which plays over the opening credits).

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* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray'', a title which Bogdanovich didn't like because it "sounded like a snake", so he came up with ''Paper Moon'' ( [[TitledAfterTheSong ([[TitledAfterTheSong picked up from the 1935 hit song]] "It's Only a Paper Moon", which plays over the opening credits).
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''Paper Moon'' is a 1973 period comedy-drama film [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on]] the novel ''Addie Pray'' by Joe David Brown, directed by Creator/PeterBogdanovich and starring the father and daughter team of [[Creator/RyanONeal Ryan]] and Creator/TatumONeal.

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''Paper Moon'' is a 1973 period comedy-drama film [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on]] adapted from]] the 1971 novel ''Addie Pray'' by Joe David Brown, directed by Creator/PeterBogdanovich and starring the father and daughter team of [[Creator/RyanONeal Ryan]] and Creator/TatumONeal.



* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray'', which title Bogdanovich didn't like because it "sounded like a snake", so he came up with ''Paper Moon'' ( [[TitledAfterTheSong picked up from the 1935 hit song]] "It's Only a Paper Moon", which plays over the opening credits).

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* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray'', a title which title Bogdanovich didn't like because it "sounded like a snake", so he came up with ''Paper Moon'' ( [[TitledAfterTheSong picked up from the 1935 hit song]] "It's Only a Paper Moon", which plays over the opening credits).
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* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray'' which the director didn't like because it "sounded like a snake" so he came up with ''Paper Moon'' which he [[TitledAfterTheSong picked up from the 1935 hit song]] "It's Only a Paper Moon" that became the song in the opening credits.

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* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray'' Pray'', which the director title Bogdanovich didn't like because it "sounded like a snake" snake", so he came up with ''Paper Moon'' which he ( [[TitledAfterTheSong picked up from the 1935 hit song]] "It's Only a Paper Moon" that became the song in Moon", which plays over the opening credits.credits).
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* TitledAfterTheSong: The '30s standard "It's Only a Paper Moon"[[note]]by the same creator who later wrote "Over the Rainbow"[[/note]], which is heard over the opening credits.

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* TitledAfterTheSong: The '30s standard "It's Only a Paper Moon"[[note]]by Moon,"[[note]] by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, the same creator songwriting team who later wrote "Over the Rainbow"[[/note]], Rainbow" [[/note]] which is heard over the opening credits.
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Creator/MadelineKahn appears as Miss Trixie, the HighClassCallGirl.
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'''Addie:''' No, I don't know what it is, but if ''you'' got 'em I sure bet they belong to somebody else!

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'''Addie:''' No, I don't know what it is, but if ''you'' got 'em 'em, I sure bet they belong to somebody else!
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* PoliceBrutality: The CorruptCop and his fellow officers give Moze a good beating.
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* PreciousPhoto: Addie keeps a photograph of herself with her mother in her tin box. It shows her mother wearing the hat we later see Addie wearing and hiding the money in.

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* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray''.

to:

* AdaptationTitleChange: The movie is based on the novel ''Addie Pray''.Pray'' which the director didn't like because it "sounded like a snake" so he came up with ''Paper Moon'' which he [[TitledAfterTheSong picked up from the 1935 hit song]] "It's Only a Paper Moon" that became the song in the opening credits.



* HiddenInPlainSight: Addie hides the money tucked into the lace of her hat. The sheriff even pulls her hat off and still doesn't notice it.



* TheOner:
** The scene in the car after they pass the broken down truck where Addie and Moze argue about their next steps goes on for over two minutes.[[note]]According to director Creator/PeterBogdanovich, they had to shoot 31 takes over two days to get the scene right.[[/note]]
** Similarly, the scene at the carnival where Addie tricks the cotton candy vendor and then fights with Moze over his new friend Trixie Delight runs for almost two minutes.



* TitledAfterTheSong: The '30s standard "It's Only a Paper Moon", which is heard over the opening credits.
* TitleDrop: At a carnival there's a guy who snaps photographs of couples sitting on a literal paper moon. Addie gets her picture taken alone, although the poster art depicts both her and Mose on it.

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* TitledAfterTheSong: The '30s standard "It's Only a Paper Moon", Moon"[[note]]by the same creator who later wrote "Over the Rainbow"[[/note]], which is heard over the opening credits.
* TitleDrop: At a carnival there's a guy who snaps photographs of couples sitting on a literal paper moon. Addie gets her picture taken alone, although the poster art depicts both her and Mose on it.
credits.


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* VisualTitleDrop: At a carnival there's a guy who snaps photographs of couples sitting on a literal paper moon. Addie gets her picture taken alone, although the poster art depicts both her and Mose on it.[[note]]This scene was written into the carnival scene so that the audience wouldn't wonder what the TitledAfterTheSong movie title referred to.[[/note]]
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removing natter


* IntergenerationalFriendship: Moze and Addie, although there's father-child undertones as well (duh).

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* IntergenerationalFriendship: Moze and Addie, although there's father-child undertones as well (duh).well.

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* IChooseToStay: In this case, with a person rather than in a place, but after Moze drops Addie off at her aunt and uncle's house in St. Joseph's, it becomes obvious from her behaviour that Addie finds the prospect of a comfortable life with her mother's relatives stifling. In the final scene, she decides to return to a life on the road with Moze, ostensibly because he still owes her $200, but really because she has grown attached to him, and he to her.

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* IChooseToStay: In this case, with a person rather than in a place, but after Moze drops Addie off at her aunt and uncle's house in St. Joseph's, it becomes obvious from her behaviour behavior that Addie finds the prospect of a comfortable life with her mother's relatives stifling. In the final scene, she decides to return to a life on the road with Moze, ostensibly because he still owes her $200, but really because she has grown attached to him, and he to her.



* LovableRogue: Moze and Addie are con artists but due to the power of the SympatheticPOV, the audience can't help but root for them.



* VillainProtagonist: Moze and Addie.

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adding new tropes


* BedroomAdulteryScene: Invoked by Addie and Imogene when they concoct a scheme to have Moze find Miss Trixie in bed with the desk clerk.



* BreakfastInBed: Miss Trixie's high-class attitude is expressed when she has Imogene serve her breakfast in bed while she still has her SleepMask on.



* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Moze's questionable morals are expressed in the opening scene where he steals the flowers from a random grave.
* FakePeriodExcuse: Imogene lies about Trixie excusing herself for being on her period to invoke a BedroomAdulteryScene later on.
* ForgedMessage: Addie writes a "booty call" letter to Miss Trixie supposedly coming from the desk clerk.



* HereWeGoAgain: The movie ends as it started, with Addie demanding $200 from Moze.



* KidsPlayMatchBreaker: Addie and Imogene concoct a KidsPlayMatchmaker plot between Miss Trixie and the desk clerk to make Moze leave his unfaithful love interest.
* LadyLooksLikeADude: Addie is repeatedly mistaken for a boy much to her chagrin.



* OffIntoTheDistanceEnding: The movie ends with the credits rolling over footage of Moze and Addie driving off into the distance.
* ParentWithNewParamour: Addie is not amused to find Moze hooking up with Miss Trixie.



* TheTeapotPose: The PreciousPhoto Addie has of herself with her mother shows the mother assuming this stance.
* TitledAfterTheSong: The '30s standard "It's Only a Paper Moon", which is heard over the opening credits.



* TitledAfterTheSong: The '30s standard "It's Only a Paper Moon", which is heard over the opening credits.

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no critical reception in the description. See How To Create A Works Page under "Things not to include"


Set in Kansas during TheGreatDepression, the film follows Moses "Moze" Pray, a ConMan specializing in ScammingTheBereaved, who is reluctantly tasked with delivering the recently-orphaned, nine-year-old Addie Loggins to her aunt in St. Joseph, Missouri. Despite vehemently denying that Addie is his daughter (which she likely is, considering Moze knew her "wild" mother well), he takes a liking to a her -- even more so when he realizes his grifting looks more legitimate with a child by his side.

The film was nominated for UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s in four categories: Best Screenplay Adaptation, Best Sound, and two nominations for Best Supporting Actress -- Creator/MadelineKahn and Tatum O'Neal herself. Tatum won, making her the youngest actor to win a competitive Oscar, winning it when she was just 10 years old.

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Set in Kansas during TheGreatDepression, the film follows Moses "Moze" Pray, a ConMan specializing in ScammingTheBereaved, who is reluctantly tasked with delivering the recently-orphaned, nine-year-old Addie Loggins to her aunt in St. Joseph, Missouri. Despite vehemently denying that Addie is his daughter (which she likely is, considering Moze knew her "wild" mother well), he takes a liking to a her -- even more so when he realizes his grifting looks more legitimate with a child by his side.

The film was nominated for UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s in four categories: Best Screenplay Adaptation, Best Sound, and two nominations for Best Supporting Actress -- Creator/MadelineKahn and Tatum O'Neal herself. Tatum won, making her the youngest actor to win a competitive Oscar, winning it when she was just 10 years old.
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* ChildrenAreInnocent: Ha, ha. Basically explains why Moze and Addie do business that well.

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* ChildrenAreInnocent: Ha, ha. Basically explains why ChildrenAsPawns: Moze and uses Addie do business that well.for his cons since ChildrenAreInnocent.
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The film was nominated for UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s in four categories: Best Screenplay Adaptation, Best Sound, and two nominations for Best Supporting Actress -- Creator/MadelineKahn and Tatum O'Neal herself. Tatum won, making her the youngest actor to win a competitive Oscar (she was 10); this record still holds as of 2021.

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The film was nominated for UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s in four categories: Best Screenplay Adaptation, Best Sound, and two nominations for Best Supporting Actress -- Creator/MadelineKahn and Tatum O'Neal herself. Tatum won, making her the youngest actor to win a competitive Oscar (she Oscar, winning it when she was 10); this record still holds as of 2021.
just 10 years old.
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Buxom Is Better has been renamed.


* BuxomIsBetter: Trixie has no qualms about using her assets to get what she wants from men.

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* BuxomIsBetter: BuxomBeautyStandard: Trixie has no qualms about using her assets to get what she wants from men.
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* LukeIMightBeYourFather: It's never answered definitively whether Addie is Moze's child or not (and Moze certainly denies it often enough), but it's certainly implied. By the end of the movie, [[FamilyOfChoice the question no longer seems to matter]].
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Whoops, I didn't notice what I'm entering. What I meant is: Corrupt Hick has been cut per this TRS tread:[1] Appropriate examples are moved to Small Town Tyrant
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  • Small Town Tyrant: Judge Alvin Valkenheiser! Valkenvania is basically his personal fiefdom (his mansion is even built like a castle, complete with moat; and his official title, "Shire Reeve", is the feudal version of a magistrate). Plus his whole operation consists of having his deputized family members arrest criminals (both real and imagined) who journey through the town before executing them so they can loot their cars and other belongings. Though while corrupt, the JP is not a "hick" in the traditional sense of the term, as illustrated by the fact that he has an Engineering Degree and that he's likely the one who heavily modified and automated his courthouse/mansion.


* CorruptHick: [[TheSheriff Sheriff]] Hardin and his bootlegger twin brother.
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''Paper Moon'' is a 1973 period comedy-drama film based on the novel ''Addie Pray'' by Joe David Brown, directed by Creator/PeterBogdanovich and starring the father and daughter team of [[Creator/RyanONeal Ryan]] and Creator/TatumONeal.

to:

''Paper Moon'' is a 1973 period comedy-drama film [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on on]] the novel ''Addie Pray'' by Joe David Brown, directed by Creator/PeterBogdanovich and starring the father and daughter team of [[Creator/RyanONeal Ryan]] and Creator/TatumONeal.
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[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paper_moon_1973_film_poster.jpg]]

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[[quoteright:304:https://static.[[quoteright:303:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paper_moon_1973_film_poster.jpg]]



Set in Kansas during TheGreatDepression, the movie follows Moses "Moze" Pray, a ConMan specializing in ScammingTheBereaved, who is reluctantly tasked with delivering the recently-orphaned, nine-year-old Addie Loggins to her aunt in St. Joseph, Missouri. Despite vehemently denying that Addie is his daughter (which she likely is, considering Moze knew her "wild" mother well), he takes a liking to a her -- even more so when he realizes his grifting looks more legitimate with a child by his side.

to:

Set in Kansas during TheGreatDepression, the movie film follows Moses "Moze" Pray, a ConMan specializing in ScammingTheBereaved, who is reluctantly tasked with delivering the recently-orphaned, nine-year-old Addie Loggins to her aunt in St. Joseph, Missouri. Despite vehemently denying that Addie is his daughter (which she likely is, considering Moze knew her "wild" mother well), he takes a liking to a her -- even more so when he realizes his grifting looks more legitimate with a child by his side.
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None


[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paper_moon_1973_film_poster.jpg]]

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[[quoteright:300:https://static.[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/paper_moon_1973_film_poster.jpg]]

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