​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.

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

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.