Herk Harvey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herk Harvey
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Harvey as "The Man" in Carnival of Souls.
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| Born | June 3, 1924 Windsor, Colorado, U.S.
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| Died | April 3, 1996 (aged 71) Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
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| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor |
| Years active | 1950–1983 |
| Spouse(s) |
Bernice Luella Brady
(m. 1950; div. 1960)Pauline G. Pappas
(m. 1967) |
Harold Arnold "Herk" Harvey (June 3, 1924 – April 3, 1996) was an American filmmaker. He directed movies, wrote scripts, acted, and produced films. He is best known for his horror film Carnival of Souls.
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Herk Harvey's Early Life and Education
Herk Harvey was born in Windsor, Colorado, in 1924. He grew up in Waverly, Illinois and Fort Collins. After high school, he joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served as a Quartermaster, 3rd Class.
While in the Navy, he studied chemical engineering. However, he later decided to pursue a career in theater. In 1945, Harvey moved to Lawrence, Kansas. He studied theater at the University of Kansas (KU). He acted in many college plays there.
Harvey earned his bachelor's degree in education in 1948. He then became an instructor in the speech and drama department at KU. In 1949, he directed his first play, Bury the Dead. He received his master's degree in speech and dramatics from KU in 1950.
He also gained acting experience in summer theater groups. He performed in Topeka and Kansas City. In 1958, he played Stanley Kowalski in a play called A Streetcar Named Desire.
On his 26th birthday in 1950, Harvey married Bernice "Bea" Brady. She was also an actress he met at KU. They both taught theater after returning to Lawrence.
Working at Centron Films
While teaching at the university, Harvey started acting in films. These films were made by Centron Corporation in Lawrence. Centron was a company that made industrial and educational films.
Harvey joined Centron's staff in 1952. He worked there for over 30 years as a director, writer, and producer. He made many short films for businesses, schools, and the government. His film "Shake Hands With Danger" won an award in 1980.
Centron became one of the top companies for industrial and educational films. Harvey was known for making high-quality films on time and within budget. He traveled around the world to film for geography and travel movies.
He also worked with famous actors and entertainers. Some of these included Walter Pidgeon, Rowan and Martin, and Ricardo Montalbán. Harvey won many national and international awards for his work.
In 1956, Harvey wrote an article for American Cinematographer magazine. It was about special effects techniques used at Centron. He also wrote reviews for local theater shows.
In 1982, a film crew from ABC came to Lawrence. They were shooting a TV movie about nuclear war called The Day After. Harvey had a small acting role as a farmer in this film. The movie was shown in 1983 and caused a lot of discussion.
Harvey retired from Centron in 1985 after 33 years. His last project was a series of educational travel films shot in Korea. After retiring, he continued to teach film at the University of Kansas. He also judged films and directed plays for the local community theater. He even had small parts in other TV movies filmed in Kansas.
Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls
Herk Harvey is most famous for his only feature film, Carnival of Souls. This was a low budget horror film made in 1962. It starred Candace Hilligoss. Harvey produced and directed the movie for about $33,000.
He got the idea for Carnival of Souls after driving past an old, abandoned building in Salt Lake City. He hired an actress from New York, Lee Strasberg-trained Hilligoss. Most of the other actors were local talents.
Harvey filmed Carnival of Souls in three weeks. The movie was shot in Lawrence and Salt Lake City. A Centron colleague, John Clifford, wrote the script. Harvey also played a "ghoul" in the film.
When it first came out, Carnival of Souls was not very popular. The company that distributed it went out of business quickly. However, over time, the film became a cult classic. It gained popularity from being shown late at night on television.
The movie uses a spooky organ score and a creepy atmosphere. It focuses on psychological horror rather than special effects. Today, film fans still talk about it. It is often shown at Halloween and art film festivals.
Harvey was disappointed that Carnival of Souls didn't do well at first. He never directed another feature film. He tried to make a few more movies, but they didn't work out. One was a comedy called Flannagan's Smoke. Another was a science fiction film called The Reluctant Witch.
However, Harvey did live to see Carnival of Souls finally get the recognition it deserved. This started happening in the mid-1980s. In 1989, there was a reunion of the cast and crew in Lawrence. The movie was also released on home video for the first time. This led to many positive reviews and articles.
Herk Harvey was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few years later. He passed away on April 3, 1996, in Lawrence. Weeks before he died, a sound stage at the University of Kansas was named the "Herk Harvey Sound Stage" in his honor.
In 2012, the Academy Film Archive worked to preserve Carnival of Souls. This means they saved the film so it can be enjoyed by future generations.
Images for kids
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Herk Harvey as "The Man" in Carnival of Souls.
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Herk Harvey as "The Man" in Carnival of Souls.
