Bonfire of the Vanities, The

The Bonfire Of The Vanities is a highly entertaining social satire based on the best-selling novel by Tom Wolfe. The intricate plot focuses on Sherman McCoy, one of Wall Street's most successful bond traders, a member of high society, who lives in a sumptuous Park Avenue apartment with his wife and daughter. Sherman has it all and more, including a very sexy mistress, Maria. One evening, after Sherman picks up Maria at the airport and is driving to their love nest in Manhattan, he makes a wrong turn and ends up in the South Bronx. It's a mistake that will change his entire life.

  • Starring: Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith
  • Director(s): Brian De Palma
  • Producer(s): Warner Brothers, Inc.
  • Screenwriter(s): Michael Cristofer
  • Distributor: Warner Bros.
  • Release Date: Thursday, November 15, 1990

Featured Animal Action

Sherman's family includes a Dachshund named Marshall. On a rainy evening, when Sherman wants to make a phone call to Maria, he uses Marshall as an excuse to get out of the house. Marshall is not keen on walking in the rain and fights Sherman all the way. Sherman drags Marshall by his collar and leash across a marble foyer. When Marshall remains uncooperative, Sherman picks him up and carries him through the soaking rain to a phone booth. The dog playing Marshall had been trained to resist the leash. He was outfitted with a body harness which was attached to his raincoat. When he was dragged and later picked up, all the stress was on the harness and raincoat, not the dog's neck.