Mel North
- Additional Crew
Born in Chicago and raised in Chicago. November. A tyrannical
father drove him to leave home when he was age 12. He washed dishes in
a restaurant in order to eat, and most often, slept there as well.
High School was fun. Mel studied, fenced on the fencing team and was in
the Glee Club. His sights were set on becoming a doctor. It didn't
happen. World War II became a reality. He went into the Merchant
Marine. Did his share and was also injured.
After he was released from The Marine Hospital, he went to Canada to a farm for rehab. It was an interesting experience. Back home, he found odd jobs. Drove cabs, a pick up car for a gambling joint in Cicero, went into the restaurant business, went to the University of Chicago for a while. Got married and moved to California. There he carried mail, worked in a restaurant, got hired as the assistant swim supervisor at the West Side Jewish Community Center.. He studied with Fencing Masters,Ralph Faulkner, Joseph and Aldo. He began to teach fencing at the WSJCC, soon became the supervisor at the pool. A diploma Fencing Master, he also opened up a club. Salle de Nord became one of the prestigious fencing clubs in the United States. Mel became known for his ability and for his "Facing" up to those referees (directors ) that he could see were cheating. Mel made some enemies..He also made friends. As the Head Fencing Coach at UCLA for twenty plus years, his Bruin Teams dominated the West Coast. UCLA Bruins teams were virtually undefeated: 19 Individual and team Championships, posting 362 wins, 18 losses, and 174 consecutive wins! His high school students won 14 High School Championships and many medals. Aside from the many Individual and Team Divisional, and Regional Championships, Individual National Championships were won and Mel's teams medaled 11 times in the National Championships. With more than thirty finalists...Pacific Coast Championships fell to SdN. Foil, Epee, Sabre and women's Foil, wining the overall hi-point trophy six years in a row!
On the International scene, Mel's students won individual Gold and Silver medals in the Maccabiah Games. Carl Borack, United States Senior Foil Champion, and winner of three Junior Championships in Foil, Epee and Sabre, won the Individual Sabre, fourth in Foil in the Maccabiah games. Joe Elliott, 1965 National Epee Champion received a Gold medal on the Epee Team. Carl Borack won three Individual Gold medals in Foil in the Pan Am Games, Elaine Cheris won the Silver in Women's Foil in the Maccabiah Games Peter Schifrin, won Gold in the Junior National Championships in Epee and Silver in foil. Elly Butyl (originally from Holland, Jean Von Der Voots' protégé) placed 4th in women's Foil in the World Championships, Borack, Cheris and Ken Morgariedge captured 6 Terres des Hommes, Canadian Championships. Barry Tompkins won five Gold medals in Modern Penthalon World Cups. Jim White was ninth in the Professional world Championships, Epee. Leonard Arron placed sixteenth in epee in the U-20 World Championships in Rotterdam, 1965. Donald Benge won the Mexican National Epee Championships. Abbey Silverstone won the Canadian National Epee Championships. North suggested and formed, with Raoul Sudre, the United States Professional World Championship Team, and later was appointed Coach and Manager of that Team. The Team won the World Championships in London in 1972.
The opportunity to work with celebrities came, Sweet Liberty, with Alan Alda, The remake of the Mark Of Zorro with Frank Langella, The Ghost Choreographer for The Court Jester, with Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone, Ghost Choreographer for the New York Stage production of Cyrano de Bergerac, Fencing Master, and Choreographer for Arsenio Hall's TV.
Neil Diamond fenced with Mel for almost a year, as a fencer. Tim Matheson joined his Fencing Club. Tony Curtis and his wife Jill joined his Club. They both took lessons until he fell ill and was no longer able to fence. Other personalities: Ross Martin, Dean Jones, Patti Page, Richard Devon, Denny "Scott" Miller, Yvette Mimeu , Annette Funcicello, Irish McCalla, Elana Eden, Jo Morrow, Ricardo Montalban, ZaZa Gabor, Cyd Charisse, Excalibur Knights, Las Vegas, Nevada and many more.
Fencing Choreographer, UCLA Work Shop: 1964-1974 Don Giovanni, The Mask Maker a Japanese Premier. La Forza Del Destino, Infidelity Foiled. The Marriage of Figaro, Director, Barber of Seville, Director. Classes in Stage Presence and Fencing.
Fencing Consultant, CBS, VPS, KTTV, Four Star Productions, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Bros Studios, MGM...Fencing Master, Chorographer: 1978 Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Romeo and Juliet. Consultant: Diet Rite Cola Commercial, Artistic fencing Consultant, Vogue Magazine, Germany. Fencing Master, Stage Director Bonfils Theatre, Denver, "Taming of the Shrew" Ghost Chorographer, Cyrano de Bergerac, New York Stage.Creator and Director, Riviera Fencing Classic, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.Billy Eckstein's Revue, Moulin Rouge. Cavalcade of Blades, Tropicana and Riviera Hotels, Las Vegas, Nevada...First Unit, Spartacus, Universal Studios, You asked for it, Fencing Ballet,Art Baker. Guest appearance, Noonday, Channel 7, Denver.Guest: Lyle Alzado & Bill Thompson shows, KWBZ, Denver..Fencing Master, Caraval Candy Commercial. Fencing Master: Max Shulman's Zelda.
After he was released from The Marine Hospital, he went to Canada to a farm for rehab. It was an interesting experience. Back home, he found odd jobs. Drove cabs, a pick up car for a gambling joint in Cicero, went into the restaurant business, went to the University of Chicago for a while. Got married and moved to California. There he carried mail, worked in a restaurant, got hired as the assistant swim supervisor at the West Side Jewish Community Center.. He studied with Fencing Masters,Ralph Faulkner, Joseph and Aldo. He began to teach fencing at the WSJCC, soon became the supervisor at the pool. A diploma Fencing Master, he also opened up a club. Salle de Nord became one of the prestigious fencing clubs in the United States. Mel became known for his ability and for his "Facing" up to those referees (directors ) that he could see were cheating. Mel made some enemies..He also made friends. As the Head Fencing Coach at UCLA for twenty plus years, his Bruin Teams dominated the West Coast. UCLA Bruins teams were virtually undefeated: 19 Individual and team Championships, posting 362 wins, 18 losses, and 174 consecutive wins! His high school students won 14 High School Championships and many medals. Aside from the many Individual and Team Divisional, and Regional Championships, Individual National Championships were won and Mel's teams medaled 11 times in the National Championships. With more than thirty finalists...Pacific Coast Championships fell to SdN. Foil, Epee, Sabre and women's Foil, wining the overall hi-point trophy six years in a row!
On the International scene, Mel's students won individual Gold and Silver medals in the Maccabiah Games. Carl Borack, United States Senior Foil Champion, and winner of three Junior Championships in Foil, Epee and Sabre, won the Individual Sabre, fourth in Foil in the Maccabiah games. Joe Elliott, 1965 National Epee Champion received a Gold medal on the Epee Team. Carl Borack won three Individual Gold medals in Foil in the Pan Am Games, Elaine Cheris won the Silver in Women's Foil in the Maccabiah Games Peter Schifrin, won Gold in the Junior National Championships in Epee and Silver in foil. Elly Butyl (originally from Holland, Jean Von Der Voots' protégé) placed 4th in women's Foil in the World Championships, Borack, Cheris and Ken Morgariedge captured 6 Terres des Hommes, Canadian Championships. Barry Tompkins won five Gold medals in Modern Penthalon World Cups. Jim White was ninth in the Professional world Championships, Epee. Leonard Arron placed sixteenth in epee in the U-20 World Championships in Rotterdam, 1965. Donald Benge won the Mexican National Epee Championships. Abbey Silverstone won the Canadian National Epee Championships. North suggested and formed, with Raoul Sudre, the United States Professional World Championship Team, and later was appointed Coach and Manager of that Team. The Team won the World Championships in London in 1972.
The opportunity to work with celebrities came, Sweet Liberty, with Alan Alda, The remake of the Mark Of Zorro with Frank Langella, The Ghost Choreographer for The Court Jester, with Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone, Ghost Choreographer for the New York Stage production of Cyrano de Bergerac, Fencing Master, and Choreographer for Arsenio Hall's TV.
Neil Diamond fenced with Mel for almost a year, as a fencer. Tim Matheson joined his Fencing Club. Tony Curtis and his wife Jill joined his Club. They both took lessons until he fell ill and was no longer able to fence. Other personalities: Ross Martin, Dean Jones, Patti Page, Richard Devon, Denny "Scott" Miller, Yvette Mimeu , Annette Funcicello, Irish McCalla, Elana Eden, Jo Morrow, Ricardo Montalban, ZaZa Gabor, Cyd Charisse, Excalibur Knights, Las Vegas, Nevada and many more.
Fencing Choreographer, UCLA Work Shop: 1964-1974 Don Giovanni, The Mask Maker a Japanese Premier. La Forza Del Destino, Infidelity Foiled. The Marriage of Figaro, Director, Barber of Seville, Director. Classes in Stage Presence and Fencing.
Fencing Consultant, CBS, VPS, KTTV, Four Star Productions, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Bros Studios, MGM...Fencing Master, Chorographer: 1978 Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Romeo and Juliet. Consultant: Diet Rite Cola Commercial, Artistic fencing Consultant, Vogue Magazine, Germany. Fencing Master, Stage Director Bonfils Theatre, Denver, "Taming of the Shrew" Ghost Chorographer, Cyrano de Bergerac, New York Stage.Creator and Director, Riviera Fencing Classic, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada.Billy Eckstein's Revue, Moulin Rouge. Cavalcade of Blades, Tropicana and Riviera Hotels, Las Vegas, Nevada...First Unit, Spartacus, Universal Studios, You asked for it, Fencing Ballet,Art Baker. Guest appearance, Noonday, Channel 7, Denver.Guest: Lyle Alzado & Bill Thompson shows, KWBZ, Denver..Fencing Master, Caraval Candy Commercial. Fencing Master: Max Shulman's Zelda.