John L. Balderston
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. John L. Balderston (October 22, 1889 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - March 8, 1954 Los Angeles, California) was an American playwright and screenwriter best known for his horror and fantasy scripts. Balderston began his career as a journalist. He worked as European war correspondent during World War I. He was the editor of Outlook magazine and a correspondent for the New York World. In 1927, he was retained by Horace Liveright to revise Hamilton Deane's stage adaptation of Dracula for its American production. His 1929 play Berkeley Square later formed the basis of the musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. His Dracula subsequently formed the basis of the 1931 film version, leading Balderston into a screenwriting career, initially for Universal Pictures horror films: in addition to Dracula, he contributed to Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy, and Dracula's Daughter. He spent much of his career adapting novels for the screen, including The Prisoner of Zenda in 1937 and 1944's Gaslight, which earned him his second Academy Award nomination (the first was for 1935's The Lives of a Bengal Lancer). He was also one of the team of writers who collaborated on the 1939 film adaptation of Gone with the Wind. His 1932 play Red Planet was filmed as Red Planet Mars in 1952. Description above from the Wikipedia article John L. Balderston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for
WritingBirthday
October 22, 1889Deathday
March 8, 1954Gender
MaleKnown Movie Credits
27![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/jocViNiWTaIhBSvhxCjnSzjJKzI.jpg)
Crew credits
![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/ueVSPt7vAba0XScHWTDWS5tNxYX.jpg)
Dracula
Theatre Play![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/dBED6CQG2K81L19occPCO7IEEP7.jpg)
The Man Who Changed His Mind
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/A6QezyupjtlFdEazInKtujn6eAH.jpg)
The Last of the Mohicans
Adaptation![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/gXKszCl5Q1KrgWRWpPcqn94CP58.jpg)
Gaslight
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/lDD8pKd6jSrFLV3RvE0eDGGGxR0.jpg)
Mad Love
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/9F4WrZfZjg6JqRLIBo6koFoDHjq.jpg)
The Prisoner of Zenda
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/A6JN2kIEYwXEHHmqEa86aMKDJj8.jpg)
Mark of the Vampire
Writer![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/fsXrZP2zZe3sJhlp9Sikpw1EWdD.jpg)
The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss
Writer![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/tvMF7iljOgOXLvkVsWGr5GrPE4j.jpg)
The Prisoner of Zenda
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/tPHImK7LhrEkidI0q1CyUsZcRpl.jpg)
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/vSKpbZVvzqQcw6htiyEinbCY9vq.jpg)
The Mummy
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/fP13bOvq7tRQCWnr6wWIGztauxd.jpg)
Tennessee Johnson
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/qx89ELAxdMHhRPBr8PIv3O6W2PH.jpg)
Stand by for Action
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/1YRX4wAY5iIBKPNmEunECLGFO7M.jpg)
Smilin' Through
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/xzYtbDFxWQKjhQlOebn638l6nC3.jpg)
Little Old New York
Story![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/1PpwPzMJGR4FmKunEYcB0kW0uAj.jpg)
Dracula
Theatre Play![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/vMO8xyrkKH57za4uW719kC8Cc0F.jpg)
Victory
Screenplay![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/eOwY5WyyMpRRF6uRWrDQWdH6SDq.jpg)
The House in the Square
Theatre Play![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/yfpA8NOT6zSaWmqNx5yC45Te7T.jpg)
Scotland Yard
Writer![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/5241zUwe7rC17MNc2QpCBKKdp1N.jpg)
Bride of Frankenstein
Adaptation![](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/h632/6jqqVFOVqMfFTthBAnlBo5kKWsN.jpg)
Beloved Enemy
Screenplay