Script File

War Time

During WWII, a young Naval officer aboard a warship in the Pacific, battles a psychotic captain
endangering lives with his indiscriminate and ruthless orders.

Navy Lt. Jim Whitney is assigned to the U.S.S. Tyler, an attack transport warship carrying Marines and weaponry to major battles in the Pacific. The ship is commanded by Captain Boda, a tough, brutal commander who earns the hatred and loathing of his crew for the arbitrary and dangerous orders he imposes. Boda singles out the young and forthright Lt. Whitney for special treatment the moment the new officer steps on board. And a hatred develops between them that will last long past the end of the war.

Lt. Whitney’s occupation is to pilot the landing craft carrying 30 Marines onto the bloody beaches of Japanese-held islands; directly into the teeth of withering enemy fire.

And all the time, Boda, as Captain of his ship, watches the battles from the safety of his bridge and protected by the good old boy Navy system which gives him especially unquestioned and indiscriminate authority as commander during “war time.”

Good men are killed unnecessarily due to Boda’s spiteful and vindictive orders. Whitney, himself, barely manages to survive a number of close calls. And when the crew threatens to mutiny and throw Boda overboard, it’s Whitney who must quell the uprising and save the man’s life.

The war ends. Whitney marries the girl he left behind and settles into a successful career. But, for Whitney, the war has never ended. In his sleep, he continues to clash with the evil Captain Boda.

Then late in life, after his dear wife is diagnosed with terminal cancer, what is left for Whitney to live for? Except, maybe, revenge against the man he considers a war criminal. Captain Boda must account for his murderous actions.

The author, Leon Cooper, is a WWII combat veteran who took part in six major battles, serving as a Navy landing craft officer, landing assault troops on Japanese island strongholds, including Tarawa and Iwo Jima. He lived this story. His commander was Captain Boda.

This film was awarded Honorable Mention by Writers Digest among 18,000 entries. Next Page awarded this film best Screenplay (Action/adventure) for 2016. Leon Cooper was the producer and co-author of "Return to Tarawa-the Leon Cooper Story," http://www.returntotarawa.net. Viewed by more than a million with Netflix, Discovery and Hulu. He has written three published books about the Pacific War.

His co-author, Don Tait, was the #1 screenwriter for Disney. He's written more than 70 screenplays for television and film.

Leon Cooper
leoncooper@frontier.com
310-457-2832
29706 Baden Pl.
Malibu, CA 90265

  • Leon Cooper
    Writer
  • Don Tait
    Writer
    #1 Screen Writer for Disney
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Number of Pages:
    116
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • New Page contest for Best Screenplay 2016
    Hollywood, CA
    November 30, 2016
    Best screen play for 2016
  • Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival
    Hollywood, CA
    January 1, 2017
    Finalist
  • Writer's Digest 74th Annual Writing Competition
    Cincinnati, Ohio
    October 15, 2005
    Honorable Mention among 18,000 contestants for Best screen play by Writer's Digest.
Writer Biography - Leon Cooper, Don Tait

LEON COOPER
Lives in Malibu, writing and developing story lines for screenpl

A published writer of fiction and nonfiction. Winner of awards for both my books and screenplays.

My writings are mainly about the Pacific War, where I spent three of my four years' Naval service.

I volunteered a week after the Pearl Harbor attack, training as a "90 Day Wonder" under an accelerated Naval Academy program.

I was appointed Boat Group Commander for my ship. I was responsible for organizing the men and materials for designated areas in the islands we invaded, then following up to make sure these arrangements were carried out—this by actually going to the designated areas involved, often under heavy enemy gunfire. I was responsible also for transporting more materials and men as circumstances called for. Finally, I arranged for moving the wounded to the hospital ship.

I took part in six major invasions of Japanese island strongholds, including Iwo Jima.

I was also JAG for my ship.

Education.

AB University of Illinois. Government, Finance, Accounting

Graduate studies. University of Michigan. Finance, Accounting

Fellowship American University. Studies in Government Reorganization

CFO of two major corporations. CEO of his own computer company—also of his marketing company that distributed his propriety software products.

Add Writer Biography
Writer Statement

Logline. A young Naval officer aboard a warship in the Pacific, acts to prevent a mutiny by his ship's angry sailors because their psychotic captain's reckless orders endangers their lives.

The producer of Eclectic Pictures is reviewing my script, War Time.

I'm the author of three published books about the Pacific War, and producer and co-author of a documentary, "Return to Tarawa-the Leon Cooper Story." (www.returntotarawa.net). More than a million people have viewed the film on Discovery, Hulu, Google and Netflix.

I am a WWII combat veteran who took part in six major battles, serving as a Navy landing craft officer, landing assault troops on Japanese island strongholds, including Tarawa and Iwo Jima. I lived the story I now tell in “War Time.”

Navy Lt. Jim Whitney is assigned to the U.S.S. Tyler, an attack transport warship carrying Marines and weaponry to major battles in the Pacific. The ship is commanded by Captain Boda, a tough, brutal commander who has earned the hatred and loathing of his crew for the arbitrary and dangerous orders he imposes. Boda singles out the young and forthright Lt. Whitney for special treatment the moment the new officer steps on board. And a hatred develops between them that will last long past the end of the war.

Lt. Whitney’s occupation is to pilot landing craft carrying 30 Marines onto the bloody beaches of Japanese-held islands; directly into the teeth of withering enemy fire.

And all the time, Boda, as Captain of his ship, watches the battles from the safety of his bridge and protected by the good old boy Navy system which gives him especially unquestioned and indiscriminate authority as commander during “war time.”

Good men are killed needlessly due to Boda’s spiteful and vindictive orders. Whitney, himself, barely manages to survive a number of close calls. And when the crew threatens to mutiny and throw Boda overboard, it’s Whitney who must quell the uprising and save the man’s life.

The war ends. Whitney marries the girl he left behind and settles into a successful career. But, for him, the war has never ended. In his sleep, he continues to clash with the evil Captain Boda. A surprising turn of events gives him the means to convict Boda for his criminal actions.

My co-writer is Don Tait, with more than 70 film and television credits. Our screenplay was awarded Honorable Mention by Writers Digest among 18,000 entries . Next Page awarded our film Best Screenplay (Action/Adventure) for 2016.

Thanks for your consideration of “ War Time.”

Leon Cooper.leoncooper@frontier.com 310-457-2832