Conceived the plot of Carnival of Souls (1962) after seeing the
abandoned Saltaire pavilion / amusement park located in Utah, and coincidentally
the site became the setting for the film itself.
The Centron studio, the company he worked for in Lawrence, is now home
to the University of Kansas' film department.
Received a lifetime achievement award from a film institute in Kansas
in 1989.
Directed over 400 educational, industrial and documentary films made by Centron Productions in Lawrence, Kansas. His real first name was Harold, but he used his nickname "Herk" on all of his work.