January 5, 2026

Amy Baer, President, Film and Television
Artists Equity

Re: "Cocoanut Grove:" A tale of loss, tough women, and decency

Dear Amy,
Like you, I work with two lovable Boston gentlemen. In writing our screenplay "Cocoanut Grove," a fictional story set against the backdrop of the real-life 1942 fire at Boston's Cocoanut Grove nightclub, we each contributed something essential yet distinctive: Ken's Boston sensibility, accent, and endless humor, Saul's expertise on Boston history, and my New England-grown psychotherapist's sense of responsibility. For us, "Cocoanut Grove" is a tale that deals with love, loss, and a universal theme (conveyed in this short video) -- "please remember me." 

The Cocoanut Grove Fire: 80 Years Ago Tonight
​"Please Remember Me" 

The path the script takes is the reason I felt compelled to contact you personally. As former board president of "Women in Film" I thought you would particularly be drawn to "Cocoanut Grove's" strong female characters. Besides Dorothy in the leading role as the strong-willed singer with a secret past, there is Annie the mob boss's daughter, Pepper the Latin dancer, and Bunny the cigarette girl -- all but Annie based on actual women who worked at the doomed nightclub. To survive the mob-run Cocoanut Grove and their circumstances, each had to make hard personal choices. Despite being set in a period where their opportunities were much more limited, "Cocoanut Grove" is a story about tough women that will resonate with modern audiences.

It is something else as well. In your 2024 interview with Kevin Goetz, you stated that your superpower is being "authentic and decent." That really touched me, as "Cocoanut Grove" at its core is a tale of decency enduring amidst pervasive corruption. We need such stories today more than ever, told by decent men and women. To this day the Cocoanut Grove fire that killed 492 members of the Greatest Generation has been all but forgotten -- even in the city where it happened. Only now, more than 80 years later, is a memorial finally being built to honor the memory of those lost. The circumstances surrounding this tragedy represent the best and worst of humanity, and what arose from its ashes in terms of medical, safety, and legal advances is nothing short of astonishing. 

This is a tale that deserves to be told while meeting this moment in history.  

​​Below you'll find a synopsis of the script and accompanying short videos. Thank you in advance for your consideration, and we look forward to hearing from you.

​Deborah Whitaker, Co-Writer, "Cocoanut Grove"

P.S. A memorable tidbit surrounding the Cocoanut Grove fire involves the Boston College/Holy Cross football game held at Fenway Park the afternoon of the fire. Top ranked Boston College was highly favored to win and the Holy Cross upset reportedly saved many lives when Boston's mayor, his entourage, and many BC fans cancelled victory celebrations planned for that night at the Cocoanut Grove. Two weeks before, BC had printed up a game-day program featuring two of its All-American players. The numbers on their jerseys read 55 and 12; the final score of the game was 55-12, one of many coincidences real and imagined woven into our script.

COCOANUT GROVE
Screenplay for Feature Film by
Kenneth Lawrence & Deborah Whitaker and Saul Wisnia
Inspired by the True Story

Sheet music found on
the piano one day after
the 1942 fire:
“We’ll Meet Again”
and “I Burned a Match”

In 1942 Boston, the Cocoanut Grove nightclub dazzled with music, glamour, and forbidden romance--
until one fateful night turned it into America’s deadliest nightclub fire.

Welcome to Cocoanut Grove: "Massachusetts"

​Cocoanut Grove is “the place to see and be seen.” Passing through the nightclub’s signature revolving door is a snapshot of 1942 Boston: fat cats cutting to the front of the line, showgirls strutting their stuff for uniformed soldiers soon shipping out to war, young couples in love with their whole lives before them. On the surface it’s all dancing and drinking to big bands and crooners; below, a tinderbox waiting to count its victims.

Daniel Cohen, 24, is a darkly handsome bartender being groomed to inherit the mob-run Grove. He’s marrying the boss’s daughter. He’ll have money. Power. Be set for life. A fairy tale come true, but Daniel is an aspiring psychiatrist and doesn't believe in fairy tales. Then an enchanting voice begs him to follow his heart -- and sends him tumbling into a world of dangerous choices with unthinkable consequences.

Dorothy James, 22, has looks like pinup Rita Hayworth, a voice that beckons Billie Holiday, and a take-no-prisoners attitude that would make Bette Davis smirk. In the pursuit of her musical dreams, Dorothy can hold her own against the Grove’s resident henchman, a salacious Marine, and Daniel’s preachy sermons on Freud. But there’s another side to Dorothy: she has broken the rules. She imagines a future with Daniel, but her past might silence her forever.

​​Saturday, Nov. 28th, 10:15 P.M. Sparks between Daniel and Dorothy are reaching their hottest. The Grove is packed twice beyond its legal capacity. In the main dining room, the band begins playing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” ─ while downstairs in the cozy Melody Lounge, a light bulb, a lit match, and an obedient 16-year-old busboy are setting in motion events that will change everything.

​Inspired by this tragic true event, “Cocoanut Grove” features mink-draped mobsters, ruby slippers, and everyday heroes. With quirky supporting characters to root for, humorous banter, and unexplainable coincidences, “Cocoanut Grove” builds to a horrific climax with a powerful coda ─ major advances in medicine, fire safety, and legal precedent that give meaning to a senseless and all-but-forgotten tragedy.

“Cocoanut Grove” is a tribute to the Greatest Generation at the turning point of the 20th Century ─ when Democracy still hung in the balance. Yet, at its core, “Cocoanut Grove” is a love story, with timeless messages that bear repeating: Follow your heart. Break the rules. We’ll meet again.

Writing Team

Deborah Whitaker
A psychotherapist and a screenwriter, Deborah has spent more than 30 years conducting therapy sessions like plot lines and character arcs that needed extensive rewrite. She has written five transformational screenplays, and is the author of Looking Glass Sky, a thought-provoking parable on the art and science of self-love. Deb lives near the seacoast of New Hampshire.
Cocoanut Grove Connection: Besides the synchronicities, it was the 40s-era music that first drew Deb into writing this story. Deb’s grandfather, who sang to her as a young girl, briefly performed with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra until Deb’s grandmother made him choose between the road and his family. ​

Kenneth Lawrence
Ken hails from Boston and lives in New Hampshire. He has written advertising copy for Boston area radio program and co-produced a variety of local New Hampshire television shows. He was first drawn to writing the story of Cocoanut Grove after hearing broadcaster Paul Harvey relay, in his signature voice, the "rest of the story" during his national radio show. 
Cocoanut Grove Connection: Growing up in Boston, Ken was surrounded by people who lost a friend or family member at the Grove. His uncle Archie worked with the Welansky brothers, the infamous mob-connected owners of the club. Ken recalls that his uncle called himself a plumber, although no one ever saw him working in that capacity.

Saul Wisnia
A Boston area native and resident, Saul has written widely on topics ranging from baseball to business to medicine during his 35-year career. He is the author of numerous books including "Miracle at Fenway," and (with Luis Tiant) "Son of Havana," and is a former staff writer at the Boston Herald and sports and news correspondent at the Washington Post. An expert on Boston sports and medical history, Saul has been senior publications editor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute since 1999. 
Cocoanut Grove Connection: As a young boy, Saul met former Cocoanut Grove waiter John Rizzo, who shared with him his captivating experiences from the fire. Saul has worked closely with the Cocoanut Grove Memorial Committee, and is currently writing “The Cocoanut Grove Diaries,” a compilation of true stories surrounding the Cocoanut Grove fire.

Cocoanut Grove Fire 80 Years Ago Tonight

Writers Kenneth Lawrence and Deborah Whitaker share their experiences in writing the screenplay "Cocoanut Grove,"
​about the 1942 fire in Boston's Cocoanut Grove nightclub.