Mike Cassidy, born February 18, 1949, Utah, was a University of Utah Arts student around 1969, and was a writer and photographer for the University of Utah Student Newspaper (then The Daily Utah Chronicle). He then became a Salt Lake Tribune staff photographer from 1969 to 1972, and focused on filmmaking after that date. His film, the "(Attack of) The Giant Brine Shrimp," was shown on many arts and film festivals, including the Great Basin Film Festival. The film was one of the finalist in the 1975 Student Film Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. Cassidy was friends with other remarkable Utah independent filmmakers, like Trent Harris, Diane Orr, and C. Larry Roberts. Cassidy passed away in San Fracisco, California on November 21, 1985.
This information was compiled by Special Collections staff after researching through Utah and California newspapers.
Audio-visual materials can be fragile and require specialized equipment to play back. For this reason, access to audio-visual materials is provided through digital copies, and it might take longer to provide access to items that are not yet digitized. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law, condition of the material, or by donor.
The Mike Cassidy films' copyrights are held by Diane Orr.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's
Collection Name, Collection Number, Item Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Collection was organized by keeping the film elements together with each other, and by separating interviews, produced and amateur films, and other filmed footage.
Donated by Diane Orr and Trent Harris in 2015.
Processed by Special Collections staff.
Forms part of the
The Mike Cassidy independent film collection consists of 36 16mm films and 3 reel-to-reel audiotapes of elements of his experimental films and other videos filmed by him. Film elements include A, B, and C rolls, 16mm magnectic tracks, and sound on reel-to-reel audiotape, in addition to some work prints. Cassidy's films mostly take place in Utah and California. His most known film is the "(Attack of) The Giant Brine Shrimp", but the collection also includes other unique films, such as "Oct. 15", "Mondo Sleazo", and "Armageddon", in addition to footages of the Pride Festival (which the director refers as "Gay Parade") from the 1970s and 1980s, in California.
Complete KUTV EXTRA interview of Mike Cassidy by Diane Orr.
An audio track that features music performed by Enric Madriguera Orchestra-Brazil, Tico Tico, The Surfaris, Les Offrandes Oubliees, and The Philadelphia Orchestra followed by sounds of moans and a bed squeaking, dialogue, and sound effects from The Giant Brine Shrimp film.
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Miscellaneous Mike Cassidy footage. Contains some Brine Shrimp movie special effects and clips.
Miscellaneous Mike Cassidy footage.
Film featuring a person traveling rough terrain by foot with various weapons.
Footage used for The Giant Brine Shrimp. Black and white footage of a ping pong tournament. Date determined by film edge code.
Includes original print (7A) and magnetic soundtrack (7B). Produced by Beecher Films.
Musical soundtrack for The Giant Brine Shrimp and vocals for Mondo Sleazo. Features tracks from the Steve Miller Band's albums "Sailor,""Yes," and "Going for the One," as well as tracks from Robin Trower's album "In City Dreams."
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Sound effects for The Giant Brine Shrimp.
A short film in which a giant brine shrimp attacks Salt Lake City, Utah. The massive creature destroys several famous landmarks and buildings before being carried away and dropped by a giant bird. Date determined by film edge code.
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Includes A roll (11A), B roll (11B), and magnetic soundtrack (11C).
Footage of exterior and interior of a house, the cameraman, and a clip of a man flying as Superman. Date determined by film edge code.
An abstract film featuring a man in black and white. Rolls B and A spliced together in the same film reel.
Footage of a group rafting down a river. Date determined by film edge code.
Montage of of Salt Lake City skyline and locations. Date determined by film edge code.
A film featuring a belly dance performance by Lee Bernstein; A montage of Salt Lake City to "Salt Lake City" by The Beach Boys; Footage of a parade to music. All rolls A, B, and magnetic soundtrack in the same film. Date determined by film edge code.
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Black and white footage of people socializing in a stairwell. Date determined by film edge code.
Film features man smoking outside before entering a joining a stairwell social gathering.
Soundtrack to Mondo Sleazo film. 16mm magnetic soundtrack.
Original version of film Mondo Sleazo. Date determined by film edge code.
Black and white film featuring a group of party-goers dancing and talking. Date determined by film edge code.
Black and white film featuring a group of party-goers dancing and talking. Original instantiation. Date determined by film edge code.
Two men share a meal of hot dogs and artichokes. Date determined by film edge code.
Black and white film focused on a woman's reflection. Includes A roll (24A) and B roll (24B).
A series of bright, moving, watercolor images. Date determined by film edge code.
A stop-motion film made with toys; Jimi Hendrix performs; A clip from feature film "Robin Hood"; An adult-themed animated short. Date determined by film edge code.
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A film focused on a Vietnam War protest featuring music and a speech; Commercial for Tree Sweet frozen orange juice (film)
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Date determined by film edge code.
Footage of a gay pride parade and its attendees. Date determined by film edge code.
Footage of a gay pride parade and the crowd in attendance.
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Footage of a gay pride parade and the crowd in attendance.
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Footage of a gay pride parade and its attendees.
Film featuring visitors, vendors, and performers of the Haight Street Fair.
Footage of a gay pride parade and the crowd in attendance.
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Footage of a gay pride parade and its attendees, as well as the Castro Fair.
Footage of the Gay Freedom Day celebrations in San Francisco, California.
Footage of Briggs Initiative protest, featuring speech from Harvey Milk; Footage of gay pride parade and the crowd in attendance.
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Footage of a gay pride parade and the crowd in attendance.
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