Papers of Herk Harvey
Overview
Herk Harvey was an actor, vice president, director, and producer for Centron Films in Lawrence, Kansas. This collection contains film treatments, notes, correspondence, catalogs, slides, contracts, a mayoral proclamation, news articles, photographs, scripts, and an Academy Award Nomination plaque.
Dates
- Creation: 1962 - 2007
Creator
- Harvey, Herk, 1924-1996 (Person)
Language of Materials
English, Korean, German, and Italian
Conditions Governing Access
No access restrictions.
Audio visual materials are stored in the KU Annex off-site storage area.
All researchers interested in reviewing this material must consult Spencer Research Library Public Services staff (785-864-4334 or ksrlref@ku.edu, 9-5 M-F CST) before a planned visit; staff will respond within three days, though materials may not be available in that timeframe. Access to audio visual materials may require digitization first. Be advised that drop-in requests for this material cannot be accommodated.
Conditions Governing Use
Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.
Biography of Herk Harvey
Harold A. Harvey, known as "Herk," was born June 3, 1924 in Fort Collins, Colorado to Everett and Minnie R. (Prewitt) Harvey. After graduating from Fort Collins High School and serving in the Navy during World War II, Harvey completed both bachelors and masters degrees at the University of Kansas in 1948 and 1950.
Soon after Centron Films was established in Lawrence, Kansas as an independent film production company, Harvey was hired on by co-founder Art Wolf. Harvey worked as a producer and film director for Centron, mostly in industrial and educational films.
In the early 1960s with writer John Clifford, who also worked extensively for Centron, Harvey directed the thriller Carnival of Souls, with a total budget of $30,000. The movie later gained a cult following, and a remake was released in 1998. Harvey worked on over 400 educational and industrial films, winning an Academy Award for the short documentary "Leo Beuereman."
Herk Harvey was married to Pauline G. Pappas. He retired in 1985, continuing to teach film production at KU, adjudicate films for the American Film Festival and for the Kansas Film and Video Festival, and directed plays for the Lawrence Community Theatre. Harvey died in 1996 from pancreatic cancer.
Extent
3.5 Linear Feet (5 boxes + 2 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder, 13 audio visual items)
Scope and Contents
Material includes correspondence, film treatments, shooting schedules, take sheets, sound logs, contracts, notes and scripts for short films on Korea in the 1980s. Also includes slides from the Caribbean, Central America and South America used for geographic films produced in the 1960s and an Academy Award Nomination plaque for the 1969 short film "Leo Beuerman."
An addition to this collection contains materials related to the film directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford, Carnival of Souls, including newspaper and magazine articles, scripts, contracts, information on film festivals where it was shown, posters, press kits, information on the Saltair location where part of the film was shot, information pertaining to the VHS release, photographs from the filming and subsequent re-release, and corresondence regarding the film. The addition also includes photographs from several Centron films directed by Herk Harvey and scripts from several other short films and plays on which he worked.
Physical Location
RH MS 1229
Physical Location
RH MS-P 1229
Physical Location
RH MS 1409
Physical Location
RH MS Q421
Physical Location
RH MS S48
Physical Location
KC AV 23-25
Physical Location
A/V items at Annex (Contact Spencer Library Public Services)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts, Robert M. Rose, 2002; Stephen Callahan, 2015.
Separated Materials
Price, Michael H. and Debra Rowden. Carnival of Souls. Baltimore, Md.: Midnight Marquee Press, 2005. Located at Spencer Research Library at RH D9763.
Carnival of Souls. Directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford. Rahway, Nj: Vintage Video, 1988. Located at Spencer Research Library at KC AV 26.
Carnival of Souls. Directed by Adam Grossman. United States: Trimark Home Video, 1998. Located at Spencer Research Library at KC AV 27.
Subject
- Harvey, Herk, 1924-1996 (Person)
- Centron Corporation (Organization)
- Clifford, John, 1918-2010 (Person)
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Herk Harvey Collection
- Subtitle
- Papers of Herk Harvey
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by brch, 2010; revised by tmw, 2017.
- Date
- 2010
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Finding aid written in English.
- Finding aid permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/10407/0000000011
- Preferred citation
-
Papers of Herk Harvey, RH MS 1229, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas
Repository Details
Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository