Set against the desolate backdrop of the Great Depression, Paper Moon (1973), directed by Peter Bogdanovich, is a black-and-white road movie that masterfully blends comedy, drama, and a touch of melancholy. The film follows the unlikely pairing of Moses Pray, a slick-talking Bible salesman and small-time con artist, and Addie Loggins, a recently orphaned nine-year-old girl who may or may not be his daughter. After attending her mother’s funeral, Moses is roped into taking Addie to her only known relative in St. Joseph, Missouri. Along the way, the two form an uneasy alliance as Addie quickly proves herself a savvy, shrewd, and resourceful grifter in her own right.
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