The 1950s star passed away from a heart attack at his Las Vegas home on Saturday (31Oct15).

A native of Los Angeles, Herbert was signed by a talent agent at the age of four and his first acting gig was in the 1953 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz film The Long, Long Trailer, although his scenes were cut.

He went on to appear in U.S. TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Target and The Jack Benny Program, and cult movies including The View from Pompey's Head, The Night Holds Terror, These Wilder Years and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

At 10, he landed a trio of memorable roles, playing Cary Grant's son in 1958 comedy Houseboat and appearing in horror film The Fly and sci-fi classic The Colossus of New York.

Herbert's other credits include the movies 13 Ghosts, The Boy and the Pirates and Please Don't Eat the Daisies, and small screen appearances in The Twilight Zone, The Patty Duke Show and Wagon Train.

Herbert quit showbusiness in his early 20s, and later criticised studio bosses for exploiting him as a child actor and not giving him a proper education while constantly working on film sets.

As a result, Herbert became an advocate for the proper treatment of child actors.