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John Balderston
(22 Oct 1889 - 8 Mar 1954)
American journalist and playwright who revised a play, Dracula, for the American stage, based on the drama adapted from Bram Stoker's story by Hamilton Deane. The first performance of Deane's play was at the Grand Theatre, Derby on 5 Aug 1924. It was Deane's idea to characterize Dracula as fully human and in full evening dress. Raymond Huntley, who took over the title role in 1925 wore a costume including a cape with a collar. That play was seen by the American producer Horace Liveright, who hired Balderston to simplify the plot and improve the dialogue. It opened on 19 Sep 1927 in New Haven, and on 5 Oct 1927 at the Fulton Theatre in New York City. The Hungarian Béla Lugosi portrayed Dracula as aristocratic, gentlemanly and romantic. Lugosi was cast again as the vampire in the 1931 film version directed by Tod Browning. It was the first sound movie version of the story. Balderston contributed to the screenplay.
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Science Quotes by John Balderston (1 quote)
The superstitions of today are the scientific facts of tomorrow.
— John Balderston
In the play Dracula (1927), spoken by the character Von Helsing. In the script Dracula: the Vampire Play in Three Acts (Samuel French Inc., 1960), 25.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
