The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

Director:

Brian De Palma

Writers (WGA):

Michael Cristofer (screenplay)
Tom Wolfe (novel)

Release Date:

21 December 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Take one Wall Street tycoon, his Fifth Avenue mistress, a reporter hungry for fame, and make the wrong turn in The Bronx...then sit back and watch the sparks fly.

Plot:

Financial "Master of the Universe" Sherman McCoy sees his life unravel when his mistress Maria Ruskin hits a black boy with his car...

Plot Keywords:

Tabloid | Accident | Journalist | Mistress | Spill The Beans

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Sherman McCoy
Bruce Willis	...	Peter Fallow
Melanie Griffith	...	Maria Ruskin
Kim Cattrall	...	Judy McCoy
Saul Rubinek	...	Jed Kramer
Morgan Freeman	...	Judge Leonard White
John Hancock	...	Reverend Bacon
Kevin Dunn	...	Tom Killian
Clifton James	...	Albert Fox
Louis Giambalvo	...	Ray Andruitti
Barton Heyman	...	Det. Martin
Norman Parker	...	Det. Goldberg
Donald Moffat	...	Mr. McCoy
Alan King	...	Arthur Ruskin
Beth Broderick	...	Caroline Heftshank
Kurt Fuller	...	Pollard Browning
Adam LeFevre	...	Rawlie Thorpe
Richard Libertini	...	Ed Rifkin
Andre Gregory	...	Aubrey Buffing
Mary Alice	...	Annie Lamb
Robert Stephens	...	Sir Gerald Moore
Marjorie Monaghan	...	Evelyn Moore
Rita Wilson	...	P.R. Woman
Kirsten Dunst	...	Campbell McCoy
Troy Winbush	...	Roland Auburn (as Troy Windbush)
Patrick Malone	...	Henry Lamb
Emmanuel Xuereb	...	Filippo Chirazzi
Scotty Bloch	...	Sally Rawthrote
Hansford Rowe	...	Leon Bavardage
Elizabeth Owens	...	Inez Bavardage
Malachy McCourt	...	Tony - Doorman
John Eric Bentley	...	Bill - Doorman (as John Bentley)
William Clark	...	Eddie - Doorman
Jeff Brooks	...	Bondsman
Brennan McKay	...	Bondsman (as T.J. Coan)
Don McManus	...	Bondsman
James Lally	...	Bondsman
Marcia Mitzman Gaven	...	Bondsman (as Marcia Mitzman)
William Woodson	...	Gene Lopwitz (voice)
Nelson Vasquez	...	Pimp
Fanni Green	...	Prostitute
Roy Milton Davis	...	Latino
Shiek Mahmud-Bey	...	Lockwood
Stewart J. Zully	...	Court Clerk
Helen Stenborg	...	Mrs. McCoy
Timothy Jenkins	...	Billy Cortez
Sam Jenkins	...	Fox's Assistant
Vito D'Ambrosio	...	Intercom Man
Paul Bates	...	Buck
Camryn Manheim	...	Poe Picketer
J.D. Wyatt	...	Poe Picketer
Eyde Byrde	...	Poe Picketer
David Lipman	...	Poe Picketer
George Merritt	...	Poe Picketer
Kirk Taylor	...	Aide
O. LaRon Clark	...	Cecil Hayden (as O. Laron Clark)
Louis P. Lebherz	...	The Commandatori
Walker Joyce	...	Bobby Shalfet / 'Don Giovanni'
Anatoli Davydov	...	Boris Karlevskov (as Anatoly Davydov)
Nancy McDonald	...	Media Jackal
Ray Iannicelli	...	Media Jackal
Daniel Hagen	...	Media Jackal
Kimberleigh Aarn	...	Media Jackal
Walter Flanagan	...	Media Jackal
Mike Hodge	...	Media Jackal
Ernestine Jackson	...	Media Jackal
Nicholas Levitin	...	Media Jackal
Novella Nelson	...	Media Jackal
Noble Lee Lester	...	Media Jackal
Adina Winston	...	Female Guest
Richard Belzer	...	Television Producer
Cynthia Mason	...	Maid
Ermal Williamson	...	Butler
W.M. Hunt	...	Nunnally Voyd
Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi	...	Maitre D'
Jon Rashad Kamal	...	French Waiter
Channing Chase	...	Shocked Woman
Hal England	...	French Restaurant Patron
Joy Claussen	...	French Restaurant Patron
John Fink	...	French Restaurant Patron
Judith Burke	...	French Restaurant Patron
Barry Michlin	...	Funeral Director
Connie Sawyer	...	Ruskin Family Member
Johnny Crear	...	Manny Leerman
Sherri Paysinger	...	Anchorwoman
Stacy Francis	...	Gospel Singer
Barbara Gooding	...	Gospel Singer
Kathleen Murphy Palmer	...	Gospel Singer
Lorraine Moore	...	Gospel Singer
Doris Leggett	...	Gospel Singer
Kathryn Danielle	...	P.R. Assistant
Oliver Dixon	...	Diplomat
Jennifer Bassey	...	Diplomat's Wife
Katrina Braque	...	Diplomat's Daughter
Richard Gilbert-Hill	...	Weiss' Aide
Marie Chambers	...	Weiss' Aide
Virginia Morris	...	Weiss' Aide
Barry Neikrug	...	Weiss' Aide
George Plimpton	...	Well Wisher
Susan Forristal	...	Well Wisher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
F. Murray Abraham	...	D.A. Abe Weiss (uncredited)
John Blyth Barrymore	...	Restaurant Manager (uncredited)
Debbie Lee Carrington	...	Crying midget (uncredited)
Sarah Essex	...	(uncredited)
Terry Farrell	...	Party Guest Listening to Aubrey Buffing (uncredited)
Gary Jones	...	Waiter in Elevator (uncredited)
Sharmagne Leland-St. John	...	Woman in Restaurant (uncredited)
Michael Merton	...	DMV Informant (uncredited)
Jack Mulcahy	...	Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Denise Nelan	...	Attorney (uncredited)
Kariim Ratcliff	...	Court Demonstrator (uncredited)
John Reidy	...	Broker (uncredited)
Geraldo Rivera	...	Robert Corso (uncredited)
Joey Sontz	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Daisy Alexandra Sylbert-Torres	...	Ruskin Family Member (uncredited)
Curt Truman	...	Head Waiter (uncredited)
Clinton H. Wallace	...	Latino Kid (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian De Palma		(as Brian DePalma)

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael Cristofer		(screenplay)
Tom Wolfe		(novel)

Produced by
Fred C. Caruso	....	co-producer (as Fred Caruso)
Brian De Palma	....	producer (as Brian DePalma)
Monica Goldstein	....	associate producer
Peter Guber	....	executive producer
Jon Peters	....	executive producer
Christopher Francis Woods	....	producer: title sequence, R/Greenberg Associates (uncredited)

Original Music by
Dave Grusin

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bill Pankow
David Ray

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Art Direction by
Gregory Bolton		(as Greg Bolton)
Peter Landsdown Smith

Set Decoration by
Joe D. Mitchell		(as Joe Mitchell)
Justin Scoppa Jr.		(as Justin Scoppa)

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist (as Kathy Blondell)
Thomas R. Burman	....	makeup special effects
Bari Dreiband-Burman	....	makeup special effects
Scott H. Eddo	....	makeup artist: Bruce Willis (as Scott Eddo)
Leonard Engelman	....	makeup artist
Coree Lear	....	makeup artist
Josée Normand	....	hair stylist: Bruce Willis (as Josee Normand)
Daniel C. Striepeke	....	makeup artist (as Dan Striepeke)
Kelvin R. Trahan	....	hair stylist (as Kelvin Trahan)

Production Management
Robert J. Anderson	....	unit production manager (as Robert Anderson)
Peter A. Runfolo	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Algric Leo Chaplin	....	dga trainee
Jeff Okabayashi	....	second second assistant director
Douglas S. Ornstein	....	second second assistant director (as Douglas Ornstein)
Richard Patrick	....	key second assistant director
Eric Schwab	....	second unit director
Chris Soldo	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Richard Berger	....	set designer
David Goldstein	....	paint foreman
Roger Irvin	....	construction coordinator
Gary F. Kieldrup	....	assistant property master
Gary Kudroff	....	set dressing leadman
William Lucek	....	scenic artist
Robert Maddy	....	set designer
Kevin McCarthy	....	set dressing leadman
Nick Navarro	....	set designer
John Ralbovsky	....	scenic artist
Thomas Saccio	....	property master (as Tom Saccio)
Bennett L. Sperber	....	construction foreman (as Ben Sperber)
Kenneth Weinberg	....	assistant property master (as Ken Weinberg)
John Zemansky	....	property master
Johnnie Jenkins	....	construction accountant (uncredited)
Sharmagne Leland-St. John	....	assistant: Richard Sylbert (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Beauchene	....	boom operator
Stan Bochner	....	sound editor
Louis Cerborino	....	sound editor (as Lou Cerborino)
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor
Laura Civiello	....	sound editor
Pam DeMetruis-Thomas	....	assistant sound editor (as Pam DeMetruis)
Kay Denmark	....	adr boom operator
Marjorie Deutsch	....	adr editor
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Harriet Fidlow	....	supervising adr editor (as Harriet Fidlow Winn)
Susan Sklar Friedman	....	assistant sound editor
Kenton Jakub	....	assistant adr editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	foley editor
Les Lazarowitz	....	production sound mixer
Jane McCulley	....	adr editor
Eytan Mirsky	....	assistant sound editor
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator
James H. Nau	....	assistant sound editor
Andy Nelson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jay Nierenberg	....	assistant sound editor
Gary Parker	....	boom operator
Harry Peck Bolles	....	sound editor
Steve Pederson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Rathaus	....	sound editor
Maurice Schell	....	supervising sound editor
Ahmad Shirazi	....	foley editor
Jeffrey Stern	....	adr editor
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer
James M. Tanenbaum	....	production sound mixer (as James Tanenbaum)
Leo Trombetta	....	assistant sound editor
Brian Vancho	....	foley artist
Magdaline Volaitis	....	sound editor
Maurice Schell	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
William B. Doane	....	special effects
Edward Drohan	....	special effects (as Eddie Drohan)

Visual Effects by
Christopher Duddy	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Joseph Thomas	....	motion control crew (uncredited)

Stunts
Gary Hymes	....	stunt coordinator
Phil Neilson	....	stunt coordinator
John Cenatiempo	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gene Harrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Keii Johnston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Patrick McLaughlin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peewee Piemonte	....	stunts (uncredited)
Manny Siverio	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Gregg Smrz	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Colin J. Campbell	....	chief lighting technician (as Colin Campbell)
John W. DeBlau	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as John DeBlau)
Edwin Effrein	....	second assistant camera
Neil Fallon	....	video assist operator
Antonio V. Garrido	....	dolly grip (as Anthony Garrido)
Louis Goldman	....	still photographer
Patrick James Grosswendt	....	rigging gaffer (as Patrick Grosswendt)
Emil Hampton	....	second assistant camera
David James	....	still photographer
Dave Lowry	....	dolly grip
Jeff Mart	....	Steadicam operator
Larry McConkey	....	Steadicam operator
Geary McLeod	....	first assistant camera
Daniel P. Moore	....	video assist operator
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera
Hal Nelson	....	second grip
Randy Nolen	....	Steadicam operator
John Panuccio	....	second grip (as Jack Panuccio)
Jeffrey W. Petersen	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Tom Prate	....	key grip (as Thomas Prate)
Andrew Priestley	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Douglas Ryan	....	camera operator (as Doug Ryan)
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
Roger West	....	second grip
Steve Wolfe	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Malcolm Bryce	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Jon Fauer	....	director of photography: title sequence (uncredited)
Richie Ford	....	electrician (uncredited)
Larry Huston	....	Steadicam focus puller (uncredited)
Gábor Kövér	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)
Eric Leigh	....	electrician (uncredited)
Sal Martorano	....	electrician (uncredited)
Lance Shepherd	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Judie Fixler	....	extras casting
Jimmy Jue	....	extras casting (as Jimmie Jue)
Michael Orloff	....	casting associate
Jeffery Passero	....	casting assistant: New York (as Jeffrey Passaro)
Todd M. Thaler	....	extras casting (as Todd Thaler)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bruce Erikson	....	wardrobe: men
Sue Gandy	....	assistant costume designer
Gary Jones	....	assistant costume designer
Donna Maloney	....	wardrobe: women (as Donna M. Maloney)
Charles Mecuri	....	wardrobe: Bruce Willis

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Ray Hubley	....	first assistant film editor
Cara Silverman	....	first assistant film editor
Debra C. Victoroff	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Bunny Andrews	....	music editor
Else Blangsted	....	editorial music consultant
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Dave Grusin	....	conductor (uncredited)
Dave Grusin	....	musician (uncredited)
Shawn Murphy	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)
Ernie Watts	....	musician (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Vernon Dautenhahn	....	transportation captain
Paul Howes	....	transportation coordinator
Edward Iacobelli	....	transportation coordinator
James Patrick Whalen Jr.	....	transportation captain (as James 'Dinny' Whalen)
Richard Curry	....	driver: Mr. Willis (uncredited)

Other crew
Alexis Alexanian	....	assistant production office coordinator
Jody Arenberg	....	production office secretary
Susan Becton	....	production secretary
Julie Bellovich	....	staff assistant
Lyda Blank	....	location assistant
Brett Botula	....	location manager
Rudy Clark	....	location assistant
Steven Danow	....	courtroom technical advisor
Thomas A. Davila	....	assistant production accountant (as Thomas Davilla)
Bruce Frye	....	location assistant
Gary Gero	....	animal trainer
Rob Harris	....	unit publicist
Nancy Hopton	....	script supervisor
Andrea Isaacs	....	craft service
Eric R. Jacobsen	....	staff assistant (as Eric Jacobsen)
Scott Kordish	....	staff assistant
Clare Leavenworth	....	assistant: Bruce Willis
Maurice Lospinoso	....	assistant: Mr. Caruso
Susan Montgomery	....	production accountant
Aimee Morris	....	staff assistant
Elizabeth J. Nevin	....	production office coordinator
Liz Newman	....	assistant production secretary
Terry Odem	....	assistant: Tom Hanks
Beth Patrick	....	location assistant
F. Stanley Pearse Jr.	....	location manager
Stanley Saffold	....	craft service
Maurice Schell	....	adr loop group
Patricia Seyler	....	staff assistant
Edwin Stalter	....	craft service
Tim Tyler	....	location assistant
Eric Von Arx	....	location assistant
Darren Wiseman	....	location assistant
Kyle Cooper	....	title designer (uncredited)
Liz Dykhouse	....	accounting assistant (uncredited)
Marty Elfalan	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
Lynn Elliot	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Joel Heller	....	computer consultant (uncredited)
David Hummel	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Claudio Jacobellis	....	assistant to production manager (uncredited)
Sharon Kahn	....	assistant unit publicist (uncredited)
David H. Kramer	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Aaron Sadovsky	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Richard Sirianni	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Matthew T. Weiner	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Nicholas Wolfert	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1991) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1996) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Records  soundtrack
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Hansard  plate photography
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Pacific Studios Inc.  chromatrans background
• R/Greenberg Associates  titles
• Revillion  fur coats

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

346 E 59th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In the opening tracking shot, when Bruce Willis gets in the elevator, Brian De Palma can be seen, dressed up as a waiter. It was technically impossible for the camera crew and the director to stay off camera in that shot, so De Palma chose to do a cameo there. To be unrecognizable, he shaved off his trademark beard.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When McCoy gets off the subway, we see he is riding the number 1 train and he gets off at 77th Street station. First of all, the number 1 train runs on the west side of Manhattan, no where near his Park Avenue residence on the east side, and second, there are no 77th Street stops on the number 1 line.

Quotes:

Peter Fallow:If you're going to live in a whorehouse, there's only one thing you can do: be the best damn whore around.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Brows Held High: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (#1.11)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Don Giovanni

Clever and interesting and not a little funny

Too many people have slagged this film without good reason. Firstly Bruce Willis reprises the type of character we remember from moonlighting. Tom Hanks plays his part well and it's only Melanie Griffiths whiney southern accent that spoils her role.

The story has plenty of irony and twists as well. This isn't action, this isn't slapstick, this is an American soap with humour, pathos and a reasonable story.

It annoys me when you get dire twaddle like "The Blair Witch Project" being touted as genius and a decent film like this being panned. Take the time to watch this and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.