Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Writer, one of whose stage works provided the basis for the film DRACULA (1931), and who co-adapted another 1931 horror classic, FRANKENSTEIN. Balderston went on to write several superior horror screenplays and to successfully adapt a number of literary works: he scripted two of Hollywood's finest entertainments, the swashbuckling PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) and the suspenseful GASLIGHT (1944). Other notable screenwriting credits (alone or in collaboration) include THE MUMMY (1932), MARK OF THE VAMPIRE and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (both 1935), THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1936), THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) and SMILIN' THROUGH (1941).    Nominated for Writing (Screenplay) 1935: THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER (w. Achmed Abdullah, Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt & Waldemar Young)    Nominated for Writing (Screenplay) 1944: GASLIGHT (w. Walter Reisch & John Van Druten) 2 nominations