In the late 1950s, Bast adapted Jean Giraudoux's play Tiger at the Gates for Granada Television, and wrote scripts for the BBC and ITV. Back in the States he wrote episodes for Combat!, Perry Mason, Ben Casey, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Honey West, and Dr. Kildare, among other series. In 1976, he received the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award for his television movie The Legend of Lizzie Borden with Elizabeth Montgomery in the title role. In 1977, his adaptation of Alexandre Dumas, père's The Man in the Iron Mask, starring Richard Chamberlain in a dual role, received two Emmy nominations for Bast's script and Olga Lehmann's costume designs. His script for The Scarlet Pimpernel with Anthony Andrews and Sir Ian McKellen was honored with a Christopher Award in 1982, and his The First Modern Olympics won the Writers Guild of America Outstanding Script for Television Longform Series for 1984. From 1985 through 1987 Bast wrote and produced The Colbys, a spin-off from the popular series Dynasty, with his partner Paul Huson; The Colbys won the 1986 People's Choice Award. He also collaborated with Huson, writing and producing a variety of television movies and series, including Tucker's Witch, The Hamptons, Pursuit, The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare, Power and Beauty, and The Fury Within. Bast's motion picture credits include the script for Ray Harryhausen's The Valley of Gwangi, Hammerhead, and an adaptation of Harold Robbins' The Betsy. He died on May 4, 2015, at the age of 84; he had Alzheimer's disease. Further reading Connors, M., Craddock, J., (eds) Videohounds Golden Movie Retriever, "William Bast", p. 1617, Gale, Visible Ink Press, 2000. Dalton, David, James Dean: The Mutant King, "William Bast", San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books, 1974. Holley, Val, James Dean: The Biography, "William Bast", New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995. Marill, Alvin H., Movies Made for Television: The Telefeature and the Mini-Series 1964-1979, "The Legend of Lizzie Borden", p. 201-202, "James Dean", p. 231-232. Connecticut: Arlington House Publishers, 1980. Spoto, Donald, Rebel: The Life and Legend of James Dean, "Bast, William", New York: HarperCollins, 1996. References External links William Bast website William Bast recalls the making of The Betsy Google Book Search: William Bast 1931 births American biographers American male biographers American male screenwriters Edgar Award winners 2015 deaths American LGBT writers LGBT people from Wisconsin University