Rhode Island governor will reconsider requests to film in Statehouse after Disney crews remove state flag

(AP) Crews filming a Disney movie temporarily replaced the flag at the Rhode Island Statehouse with one from a fictional city, drawing criticism from the governor, who pledged Monday to review more closely any future requests to use the building as a Hollywood set.

Crews making the movie "Underdog" had previously removed a historic chandelier and put down a false floor in the Statehouse rotunda. They also replaced lamps with Greco-Roman statues and constructed a false front to the Senate chamber.

But when they replaced the Rhode Island flag, Gov. Don Carcieri ordered the fake flag removed immediately. On Monday, he told reporters he did not think it was appropriate "to take apart the inside of the Statehouse" to make the movie.

"Underdog," a live-action version of the 1960s cartoon, has been filming in Providence for months. Film crews shot at the Statehouse from July 10 until Friday. They were in the building preparing for the shoot for several weeks before that.

During filming, the Statehouse's front entrance and rotunda were occasionally closed. Some state employees complained because they had to give up parking spaces and because equipment lined hallways for a month.

Steven Feinberg, director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office, said any inconveniences were more than offset by the company's $40 million investment. He said the project brought 300 full-time jobs to Rhode Island and 3,000 spots for paid extras.

"This movie is going to promote our state to a worldwide audience," he said. "It is going to have a positive impact on tourism that is priceless."

Feinberg said Disney hired a historic preservationist to ensure its construction work was done properly. It also moved the production schedule to the slow summer months when the Legislature is not in session.

Scott Levine, a publicist for the production, declined to comment on Carcieri's remarks.

A number of film and television shows have been shot in and around Providence since the state began offering tax credits for production costs last year. The Showtime series "Brotherhood" and CBS pilot "Waterfront" both filmed at the Statehouse _ although for only a few days.