Stephen Lord, the writer behind Hangar 18 (1980) and two The Bermuda Triangle efforts (1978, 1979), known as a prolific TV writer whose mainstream credits ranged from Bonanza to Fantasy Island, died at the age of 85, May 5th, in Sherman Oaks, California.

Lord is recalled as the writer of the famous Outer Limits’ script, “Keeper of the Purple Twilight” (image pictured above).

Lord also wrote teleplays with cryptozoological elements in them. Two examples are:

1965 Bonanza (TV series)
– The Strange One (1965) (writer)
Hoss and Little Joe are hunting a big mysterious cat that was preying on
the cattle. At the same time, a group of people left a girl named Marie
without food and water because they felt she was somehow causing bad
things to happen (“voodoo”).

1959 Johnny Ringo (TV series)
– The Cat (1959) (teleplay)
Cyrus Hampton, a rich old man dying of an incurable disease, arrives in Velarde with a wild tiger. He releases it into a remote canyon. When a cattleman is found severely mauled by the beast, the tiger is blamed. But was it the released tiger that killed him?

Famous quote from the episode:
Case Thomas: What sort of horses are you looking for – quarter horses, cattle horses, riding horse…?
Cyrus Hampton: Riding – suitable for hunting.
Case Thomas: Hunting? There ain’t no hunting around here, except for a few jackrabbits and coyotes. What do you think you’re hunting?
Cyrus Hampton: Tiger.
Case Thomas: Tiger?
Cyrus Hampton: Bengal tiger.
Case Thomas: There ain’t no such animal around these parts, mister.
[the roar of a tiger spooks a nearby horse]
Cyrus Hampton: There is now.

For a more complete obituary, visit my remembrance posted here.