MOVIES - May 11, 1990

‘Bonfire’ Gets Hotter: Another controversy surrounding the filming of “Bonfire of the Vanities” is starting to flame up. New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Wilentz is refusing to allow the producers to film in the Essex County Courthouse, saying the scene would be a negative portrayal of blacks. The scene calls for Morgan Freeman, playing a judge, to dismiss charges against Tom Hanks’ character, touching off a riot by blacks. Wilentz says it could undermine blacks’ confidence in the court system. The movie already has drawn criticism from officials in the Bronx for its depiction of the borough, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art has not allowed the producers to film inside the museum.