Welcome to My Site
As a WGA Screen and Television writer, my current roster of projects includes: "Louie Louie," the true story of its songwirter, Richard Berry, the Kingsmen and how it became the second most-covered song in rock 'n' roll history; "Line of Scrimmage," based on the Tom Shanahan book about the most fully-integrated college football team in the country; “The Kill-Crazy Gang” based on the Jeffery S. King book chronicling the notorious Lewis-Jones gang of one-hundred years ago, “Rock On: The Del Shannon Story” the only estate-authorized true story of the legendary rocker; “Red-Handed” is a contemporary romantic comedy/heist story, “Six Days Of Madness” is a sports drama inspired by the Ted Harper nonfiction book of the same name; “My Wall Street Journal” is an inter-generational family comedy - think “The Bad News Bears" meet “Wall Street”, “To Life,” the true story of Leon Weinstein and his efforts to keep his family alive after the Nazi invasion of Poland (currently in the top 15% on Coverfly) and “Get Up Off The Turf: The Doug Williams Story” about the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl.
On the TV side, Enspire Media is attached to my co-created unscripted series set in the world of motorsports. Last, but not least, I've written a twisted animated spec pilot titled “Killers On The Loose.” Thanks for stopping by. Click any title to view the initial sample pages.
A songwriter. A song. The worst business decision of his life made for all the right reasons. The one-hit wonder band who altered Richard's modest regional hit into a worldwide phenomenon which resulted in a multi-agency government obscenity investigation, transforming it into the forerunner of garage/punk music, finally getting Richard the decades-long redemption he sought.
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The most fully-integrated college football team and the most progressive college football coach of the 1960s.
Alabama’s Bear Bryant? No. USC’s John McKay? Not even close.
Michigan State’s Hugh “Duffy” Daugherty – coach of the most fully-integrated college football team of that era.
Unlike other schools with unofficial quotas, MSU’s roster had twenty black players and one of only two black starting quarterbacks in the country – Jimmy Raye. But Raye and his teammates did more than enroll at MSU in the early 60s; they were part of a groundbreaking movement that changed college football forever.
“Line of Scrimmage” focuses on Duffy, his “Underground Railroad” of players and their back-to-back national championships. But that story wouldn’t be complete without including the cultural flash points of racism, women’s rights and the Vietnam war. Holding her own alongside all that testosterone is brassy New Jersey co-ed Roberta Yafie. As the only female sportswriter at the State News, she became a ground-breaker in her own right. I control the rights to this book.
Alabama’s Bear Bryant? No. USC’s John McKay? Not even close.
Michigan State’s Hugh “Duffy” Daugherty – coach of the most fully-integrated college football team of that era.
Unlike other schools with unofficial quotas, MSU’s roster had twenty black players and one of only two black starting quarterbacks in the country – Jimmy Raye. But Raye and his teammates did more than enroll at MSU in the early 60s; they were part of a groundbreaking movement that changed college football forever.
“Line of Scrimmage” focuses on Duffy, his “Underground Railroad” of players and their back-to-back national championships. But that story wouldn’t be complete without including the cultural flash points of racism, women’s rights and the Vietnam war. Holding her own alongside all that testosterone is brassy New Jersey co-ed Roberta Yafie. As the only female sportswriter at the State News, she became a ground-breaker in her own right. I control the rights to this book.
Whose first single is on Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 500 records of all time?
Who was the first American artist to cover a Beatles track (Hint: he also influenced the Beatles)?
And who was going to replace Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys?
This is his true story, authorized by his estate and written with the full cooperation of his former manager, friends, fellow musicians and his family.
The story tracks his life from the invitation to join The Traveling Wilburys (Petty, Dylan, Lynne and Harrison), back to his first Sears guitar, the monster single, "Runaway," which took him to number one, the multiple hits that followed, through the lean years, ultimately circling back to that fateful invitation.
Often misunderstood as a 60s teen idol, Del Shannon was so much more. He wrote most of his own material, produced hits for others and almost never gave up despite being plagued by numerous demons.
Needless to say, this film would have a killer soundtrack.
Who was the first American artist to cover a Beatles track (Hint: he also influenced the Beatles)?
And who was going to replace Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys?
This is his true story, authorized by his estate and written with the full cooperation of his former manager, friends, fellow musicians and his family.
The story tracks his life from the invitation to join The Traveling Wilburys (Petty, Dylan, Lynne and Harrison), back to his first Sears guitar, the monster single, "Runaway," which took him to number one, the multiple hits that followed, through the lean years, ultimately circling back to that fateful invitation.
Often misunderstood as a 60s teen idol, Del Shannon was so much more. He wrote most of his own material, produced hits for others and almost never gave up despite being plagued by numerous demons.
Needless to say, this film would have a killer soundtrack.
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A New York Times film writer once said that the best sports films aren't about the sport; they're about the characters. That definitely applies here.
"Six Days Of Madness," co-written with Tom Hugh-Jones, is inspired by the true stories in the nonfiction book of the same name. I control the rights to that book. The Pitch:
Athletes at the top of their form. Dangerous high-speed action. Devastating injuries. Groupies. Sold out venues. The highest paid athletes of their era.
Baseball? Football? Basketball? Hockey? No.
Six-Day Bicycle Racing: the sport that brings the Gibson brothers, Lee and Harper to New York City, the winter of 1940 - a time when America stood on the precipice of war. The sport that could pay an athlete thousands of dollars a week, more than any other in the world. Extraordinary money considering it was the Depression; dangerous in that the riders didn’t wear helmets, and their bikes had no brakes or gears.
As popular in its day as the NHL and NBA are today, the sport of six-day bicycle racing had it all: international athletes at the top of their form, dangerous high-speed sprints often resulting in devastating injuries, clowning that would put the WWE to shame, groupies galore and sold-out arenas not just in the U.S. and Canada but throughout Europe, Latin America and Australia.
Reaching its zenith in the years just before World War II, the top athlete of six-day racing was making $5000 a week – more than Babe Ruth, more than any athlete of that era.
Roger Towne, writer of "The Natural," is a huge fan of this script.
"Six Days Of Madness," co-written with Tom Hugh-Jones, is inspired by the true stories in the nonfiction book of the same name. I control the rights to that book. The Pitch:
Athletes at the top of their form. Dangerous high-speed action. Devastating injuries. Groupies. Sold out venues. The highest paid athletes of their era.
Baseball? Football? Basketball? Hockey? No.
Six-Day Bicycle Racing: the sport that brings the Gibson brothers, Lee and Harper to New York City, the winter of 1940 - a time when America stood on the precipice of war. The sport that could pay an athlete thousands of dollars a week, more than any other in the world. Extraordinary money considering it was the Depression; dangerous in that the riders didn’t wear helmets, and their bikes had no brakes or gears.
As popular in its day as the NHL and NBA are today, the sport of six-day bicycle racing had it all: international athletes at the top of their form, dangerous high-speed sprints often resulting in devastating injuries, clowning that would put the WWE to shame, groupies galore and sold-out arenas not just in the U.S. and Canada but throughout Europe, Latin America and Australia.
Reaching its zenith in the years just before World War II, the top athlete of six-day racing was making $5000 a week – more than Babe Ruth, more than any athlete of that era.
Roger Towne, writer of "The Natural," is a huge fan of this script.
Imagine a time when technology changed crime. *
The Background:
An arrogant Pinkerton Detective. A solid mid-western Chief of Detectives. What brings them together?
The murderous Lewis-Jones gang.
Initially formed one-hundred years ago by Native American brothers Frank, Roy and Ora Lewis, they made Bonnie & Clyde look like rank amateurs. Masters of car theft, the gang terrorized the mid-west, Texas and California before being taken down.
As one lawman wrote at the time, "the crimson records of the Lewis-Jones gang easily over-matched all the rest." I control the rights to this non-fiction book.
* P.S. That technology I mentioned? The automobile.
The Background:
An arrogant Pinkerton Detective. A solid mid-western Chief of Detectives. What brings them together?
The murderous Lewis-Jones gang.
Initially formed one-hundred years ago by Native American brothers Frank, Roy and Ora Lewis, they made Bonnie & Clyde look like rank amateurs. Masters of car theft, the gang terrorized the mid-west, Texas and California before being taken down.
As one lawman wrote at the time, "the crimson records of the Lewis-Jones gang easily over-matched all the rest." I control the rights to this non-fiction book.
* P.S. That technology I mentioned? The automobile.
TO LIFE is a powerfully uplifting true tale of survival, set against the backdrop of the Nazi invasion of Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and a father's quest to save his wife and young daughter.
This is the story of street smart, charming Leon Weinstein.
Born in the Jewish village of Radzymin, Poland, he was an independent, even stubborn child. He defied his elders and grew into something of a tough. Eyes gleaming, he recalls those who called him a "dirty Jew." "They'd meet my fists," he says. "Then they'd be picking their teeth from the ground."
In his 20s, he married Sima. Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 and daughter Natalie was born the next year. When she was a year old, a German soldier unintentionally tipped Weinstein off to the coming horrors. He begged his extended family to escape but they refused, so he slipped away, with his wife and daughter.
Believing he had found safe housing for Sima and baby Natalie, Weinstein snuck into the Warsaw Ghetto and joined the resistance. Repeatedly, he was able to talk his way out of the ghetto and smuggle weapons back inside. He feared constantly for Natalie and Sima and was certain he would die.
"If we were going to die," Weinstein says, "we would do it on our own terms. We would die standing proud, on our feet, making a statement to the world. We would take as many of those bastards as we could kill."
On the first night of Passover, 1943, the Nazis began their final push to wipe out the ghetto. When German tanks rolled forward, Jewish fighters appeared at windows, on rooftops, along street corners. They hurled grenades, Molotov cocktails, bricks and rocks. Weinstein ran along rooftops in a fury, strafing Nazis with a machine gun. The resistance held, but only for a while. "When could I have been killed?" Weinstein says. "Every five minutes."
Attempting to escape the burning ghetto, Weinstein hid in sewers that swarmed with rats and human waste. He eventually found a way out that seemed safe, but was too weak to lift the iron manhole cover. He dreamed of his grandfather, a deeply religious man. " 'You must keep going,'" his grandfather told him. "' Weinstein awoke with new energy. He hunched his back again and pushed with all his strength. It opened.
After the war was over. Leon emerged from hiding hell-bent on finding Sima and Natalie. An arduous six-month journey on bicycle never deterred him. "It was terrible, what I went through," Weinstein once said. "But it was worth what I came away with."
This is the story of street smart, charming Leon Weinstein.
Born in the Jewish village of Radzymin, Poland, he was an independent, even stubborn child. He defied his elders and grew into something of a tough. Eyes gleaming, he recalls those who called him a "dirty Jew." "They'd meet my fists," he says. "Then they'd be picking their teeth from the ground."
In his 20s, he married Sima. Hitler invaded Poland in 1939 and daughter Natalie was born the next year. When she was a year old, a German soldier unintentionally tipped Weinstein off to the coming horrors. He begged his extended family to escape but they refused, so he slipped away, with his wife and daughter.
Believing he had found safe housing for Sima and baby Natalie, Weinstein snuck into the Warsaw Ghetto and joined the resistance. Repeatedly, he was able to talk his way out of the ghetto and smuggle weapons back inside. He feared constantly for Natalie and Sima and was certain he would die.
"If we were going to die," Weinstein says, "we would do it on our own terms. We would die standing proud, on our feet, making a statement to the world. We would take as many of those bastards as we could kill."
On the first night of Passover, 1943, the Nazis began their final push to wipe out the ghetto. When German tanks rolled forward, Jewish fighters appeared at windows, on rooftops, along street corners. They hurled grenades, Molotov cocktails, bricks and rocks. Weinstein ran along rooftops in a fury, strafing Nazis with a machine gun. The resistance held, but only for a while. "When could I have been killed?" Weinstein says. "Every five minutes."
Attempting to escape the burning ghetto, Weinstein hid in sewers that swarmed with rats and human waste. He eventually found a way out that seemed safe, but was too weak to lift the iron manhole cover. He dreamed of his grandfather, a deeply religious man. " 'You must keep going,'" his grandfather told him. "' Weinstein awoke with new energy. He hunched his back again and pushed with all his strength. It opened.
After the war was over. Leon emerged from hiding hell-bent on finding Sima and Natalie. An arduous six-month journey on bicycle never deterred him. "It was terrible, what I went through," Weinstein once said. "But it was worth what I came away with."
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The first black quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL draft.
The first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
The first black quarterback named MVP of a Super Bowl.
This is "Get Up Off The Turf: The Doug Williams Story."
Like any good sports project, this script is about much more than football as we learn how a poor kid from Zachary, Louisiana triumphed over personal tragedies and professional obstacles to reach the pinnacle of sports.
This script has already drawn raves from a Black List reader:"You have a beautiful and remarkable story in your hands. I would absolutely love to see Doug's story come to life on screen and I can tell that the writer has put a lot of thought and effort into it. This story would make for a phenomenal sports drama.
With that said, the dialogue feels authentic and real. It is very well crafted, advancing the story at a steady pace, providing new information, and giving talent great lines to work with. The dialogue is in fact so good that it doesn't require too many action lines to support the action taking place in most rooms, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be action lines. The writer use visuals well when describing the actual games. Those scenes are right on the money, fast-paced, concise, using the correct terminology and language to convey that he either knows a lot about football or has done his research. Last, but not least, the script has great moments cinematically."
Red-Handed (A romantic comedy/heist story)
A husband and wife. Their secret life. And marital strife.
RED-HANDED is a fast-paced, female-driven comedy about the Parrish family; Claire and George are mid 30s and their daughter Rory is 16. Claire and George are sexy, smart and witty as hell. And their daughter inherited those traits and then some.
Like any husband and wife team, they've accrued their assets from their high-powered jobs. The only difference? These two are actually high-end thieves - unbeknownst to their suburban Chicago neighbors and especially their teen-aged daughter. They never use weapons and only go after the good stuff - art and jewelry.
But those professional and personal relationships are about to be rocked to their very core when a marital indiscretion by George leads to their first arrest - house arrest. That sets in motion a very unlikely chain of events involving Rory, their probation officer, a threatened divorce and a major museum art theft – with a twist.
All of that takes place as George does everything possible to win his wife back.
Red-Handed has been favorably compared to "Moonlighting" and "The Thin Man" films. At its heart, Claire drives the action.
And the bulk of it takes place in a house with a limited number of other locations.
RED-HANDED is a fast-paced, female-driven comedy about the Parrish family; Claire and George are mid 30s and their daughter Rory is 16. Claire and George are sexy, smart and witty as hell. And their daughter inherited those traits and then some.
Like any husband and wife team, they've accrued their assets from their high-powered jobs. The only difference? These two are actually high-end thieves - unbeknownst to their suburban Chicago neighbors and especially their teen-aged daughter. They never use weapons and only go after the good stuff - art and jewelry.
But those professional and personal relationships are about to be rocked to their very core when a marital indiscretion by George leads to their first arrest - house arrest. That sets in motion a very unlikely chain of events involving Rory, their probation officer, a threatened divorce and a major museum art theft – with a twist.
All of that takes place as George does everything possible to win his wife back.
Red-Handed has been favorably compared to "Moonlighting" and "The Thin Man" films. At its heart, Claire drives the action.
And the bulk of it takes place in a house with a limited number of other locations.
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My Wall Street Journal (An Inter-generational Family Comedy)
"My Wall Street Journal" is "The Bad News Bears" meets "Wall Street."
"My Wall Street Journal" centers on thirteen-year-old Howie Barnes who feels he's been ignored by his father Steven, the CEO of Heidi's, America's fourth-largest fast food empire.
Thinking he's teaching Howie a lesson by sending him to the Money Management Camp run by his much-loved grandfather, Steven hopes Howie will come to appreciate how hard his father works. However, something unexpected happens at MMC and Howie hatches his grand plan: he'll recruit Gramps and his fellow diverse campers in order to mount a takeover of his dad's company.
Howie's goal? To get parents to spend real time with their families, not "quality time."
Realizing they'll need a front, Howie recruits a very unlikely ally who turns out to be both more and less than he thought. And when the dust settles, not everything turns out the way Howie and his cohort intended.
"My Wall Street Journal" centers on thirteen-year-old Howie Barnes who feels he's been ignored by his father Steven, the CEO of Heidi's, America's fourth-largest fast food empire.
Thinking he's teaching Howie a lesson by sending him to the Money Management Camp run by his much-loved grandfather, Steven hopes Howie will come to appreciate how hard his father works. However, something unexpected happens at MMC and Howie hatches his grand plan: he'll recruit Gramps and his fellow diverse campers in order to mount a takeover of his dad's company.
Howie's goal? To get parents to spend real time with their families, not "quality time."
Realizing they'll need a front, Howie recruits a very unlikely ally who turns out to be both more and less than he thought. And when the dust settles, not everything turns out the way Howie and his cohort intended.
"Outrageous." "Twisted." "Really Funny."
Three real reactions and the three reasons why you should take a look at my animated R-rated pilot script, "Killers On The Loose."
The Pitch
"Killers On The Loose" asks 'what would happen if O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake were recruited to be celebrity crime cops, helping other celebs with their issues.'
The Background
I wrote this as a one-hour pilot for a half-hour series and already know how the series will end.
The Coverage
Killers on the Loose is a dark yet hilarious animated comedy. For KOTL, its strength lies in both its potential and its subtle social commentary on Hollywood life. This is an impressive pilot, and using real people in the role of the Fox News anchors especially worked like a charm. KOTL has its promise in not only where it is, but how far it can go.
KOTL is fast-paced, action-packed, and filled with comedic punch-lines. While it certainly raises eyebrows, it’s bold, new, and daring. It’s a comedy with a purpose.
Each week, Simpson and Blake will be on assignment: to save yet another celebrity from him or herself. At the same time, both of these social mutants will always get what they deserve.
Three real reactions and the three reasons why you should take a look at my animated R-rated pilot script, "Killers On The Loose."
The Pitch
"Killers On The Loose" asks 'what would happen if O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake were recruited to be celebrity crime cops, helping other celebs with their issues.'
The Background
I wrote this as a one-hour pilot for a half-hour series and already know how the series will end.
The Coverage
Killers on the Loose is a dark yet hilarious animated comedy. For KOTL, its strength lies in both its potential and its subtle social commentary on Hollywood life. This is an impressive pilot, and using real people in the role of the Fox News anchors especially worked like a charm. KOTL has its promise in not only where it is, but how far it can go.
KOTL is fast-paced, action-packed, and filled with comedic punch-lines. While it certainly raises eyebrows, it’s bold, new, and daring. It’s a comedy with a purpose.
Each week, Simpson and Blake will be on assignment: to save yet another celebrity from him or herself. At the same time, both of these social mutants will always get what they deserve.
Victory Lane
I've co-created a very strong and diverse unscripted project. It works as either a stand-alone series or a companion piece to NASCAR coverage.
The Background
Seventy-five percent of college athletes believe they will play professionally. The reality? Only two percent ever make it. "Victory Lane" offers the other seventy-three percent a second chance to "go pro."
The Project
Welcome to "Victory Lane" co-written by Gary Gurner, Jerry Jacobius and Nick Gore.
As you might expect, our Pit Crew school is located in the heart of the motor sports universe, Charlotte, N.C - seriously known as the "Hollywood of Motorsports.".
The goal: to transform an NCAA football/soccer/basketball/baseball/softball player into an "over-the-wall" pit team athlete.
Our Star
Meet PHIL HORTON. Pit Crew Coach. Drill Sergeant. and Pit bull. Our kick-ass guide to the world of professional car racing and the pit crews who keep the cars battle-ready.
Among Phil's graduates are driver Bubba Wallace and numerous current NASCAR pit crew professionals including Brehanna Daniels who's got a ready-made megawatt TV personality.
As a former college and pro team trainer, Coach Horton understands how athletes are built and what they're capable of when it comes to teamwork, dedication and focus. When he recruits college athletes for his program, most have never thought about being a pit crew member; they can rarely even name the top five drivers. That's why he focuses on education and training, while redirecting the skills and athleticism these young men and women already possess.
His pitch to college athletes? Auto races are won and lost in the pit. A fraction of a second is holy. Strength, agility, quickness, hand-eye coordination and flexibility are key. And those jocks really pay attention when they discover they can earn six-figures.
On "Victory Lane," only one of them will win a slot on a professional race team pit crew.
The Background
Seventy-five percent of college athletes believe they will play professionally. The reality? Only two percent ever make it. "Victory Lane" offers the other seventy-three percent a second chance to "go pro."
The Project
Welcome to "Victory Lane" co-written by Gary Gurner, Jerry Jacobius and Nick Gore.
As you might expect, our Pit Crew school is located in the heart of the motor sports universe, Charlotte, N.C - seriously known as the "Hollywood of Motorsports.".
The goal: to transform an NCAA football/soccer/basketball/baseball/softball player into an "over-the-wall" pit team athlete.
Our Star
Meet PHIL HORTON. Pit Crew Coach. Drill Sergeant. and Pit bull. Our kick-ass guide to the world of professional car racing and the pit crews who keep the cars battle-ready.
Among Phil's graduates are driver Bubba Wallace and numerous current NASCAR pit crew professionals including Brehanna Daniels who's got a ready-made megawatt TV personality.
As a former college and pro team trainer, Coach Horton understands how athletes are built and what they're capable of when it comes to teamwork, dedication and focus. When he recruits college athletes for his program, most have never thought about being a pit crew member; they can rarely even name the top five drivers. That's why he focuses on education and training, while redirecting the skills and athleticism these young men and women already possess.
His pitch to college athletes? Auto races are won and lost in the pit. A fraction of a second is holy. Strength, agility, quickness, hand-eye coordination and flexibility are key. And those jocks really pay attention when they discover they can earn six-figures.
On "Victory Lane," only one of them will win a slot on a professional race team pit crew.