Biography
John L. Balderston (1889–1954) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Philadelphia, he began his career as a journalist, serving as a war correspondent during the First World War before turning to writing for the stage.
His 1927 stage adaptation of Dracula for Broadway led to work in Hollywood, where he contributed to Universal horror films including Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). He received an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay work on The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) and a further nomination for Gaslight (1944). Other credits include The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) and an uncredited contribution to Gone with the Wind (1939). His play Berkeley Square (1926) was later adapted for the screen.
