View source for Mel Damski

{{short description|American film producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Mel Damski
| birthname   = Melvin Damski
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1946|07|21|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Manhattan]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| occupation  = Film director, television director, producer
| education  = [[Colgate University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[American Film Institute]] ([[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]])
| yearsactive = 1978-present
}}
'''Melvin Damski''' (born July 21, 1946 in [[New York, New York]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20201022184329/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba1167ea5 Melvin Damski's bio & filmography] at [[British Film Institute|www2.bfi.org.uk]]</ref>) is an American director and producer of film and television.<ref>[https://dga.org/The-Guild/Members/Profile.aspx?mid=ShPoprFBZhE%3d Melvin Damski's profile] at [[Directors Guild of America|dga.org]]</ref>
==Life and career==
Mel Damski (born in New York, New York) is an American film director and film producer. Damski has Northern European Jewish heritage, one of four children of German refugee parents. Damski grew up in Roslyn, Long Island, New York and attended [[Colgate University]] on a football scholarship.<ref>[https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/mel-damski/bio/3000248427/ Mel Damski's Bio] at [[TV Guide|www.tvguide.com]]</ref> He was a reporter for Long Island ''[[Newsday]]'' before moving to Los Angeles to attend  the [[AFI Conservatory]] in 1972.<ref>[https://conservatory.afi.com/academy-award-achievements/ AFI Conservatory Alumni Academy Award Achievements "Mel Damski (AFI Class of 1972)"] at [[AFI Conservatory|conservatory.afi.com]]</ref>
Damski was the Producing-Director of ''Psych''.<ref>[https://variety.com/2013/tv/features/music-and-marketing-make-psych-move-1200328863/ "Music and Marketing Make ‘Psych’ Move"] by Paula K Hendrickson at [[Variety (magazine)|variety.com]]</ref> In addition to his long directing career, including 29 movies and scores of episodes, he has taught film and television at NYU, USC and AFI.<ref>[https://www.mainemedia.edu/faculty/list/mel-damski/ Mel Damski Faculty bio] at [[Maine Media College|www.mainemedia.edu]]</ref> He is also President of Lyrique Wine Company, a small family owned winery.
In 1998, Damski, along with Andrea Blaugrund, was nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for [[Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)|Best Short Documentary]] for the film ''[[Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies]]''.<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1998 The 70th Academy Awards, Mel Damski Oscar nomination] at [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|www.oscars.org]]</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-feb-11-ca-17729-story.html Complete List of Nominees "Mel Damski and Andrea Blaugrund"] at [[Los Angeles Times|www.latimes.com]]</ref>
In 1981, Damski was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding directing in a drama series for ''[[American Dream (TV series)|American Dream]]''.<ref name=MelEmmyNoms>[https://www.emmys.com/bios/mel-damski Mel Damski Emmy nominations] at [[Emmy Awards|www.emmys.com]]</ref>
In 1979, Damski was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding directing in a drama series for the television series ''[[Lou Grant (TV series)|Lou Grant]]'' (1977) for the episode "Murder".<ref name=MelEmmyNoms/>
Damski's column "If I Ran The Zoo" runs every Wednesday in the ''[[List_of_weekly_newspapers_in_the_United_States#Washington|La Conner Weekly News]]'' and a week later on his blog.
==Selected filmography==
'''Film'''
* ''[[Yellowbeard]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Mischief (1985 film)|Mischief]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Happy Together (1989 American film)|Happy Together]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Legendary (2010 film)|Legendary]]'' (2010)
* ''Coming Home for Christmas'' (2017)
'''Television'''
* ''Long Journey Back'' (1978)
* ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|''M*A*S*H'']]'', episode "Out of Gas" (1978)
* ''[[Lou Grant (TV series)|Lou Grant]]'' (1977-1978)
* ''A Perfect Match'' (1980)
* ''[[Word of Honor (1981 film)|Word of Honor]]'' (1981)
* ''[[American Dream (TV series)|American Dream]]'' (1981)
* ''For Ladies Only'' (1981)
* ''[[Attack on Fear]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Badge of the Assassin]]'' (1985)
* ''The Three Kings'' (1987)
* ''[[Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure]]'' (1989)
* ''[[A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court]]'' (1989)
* ''The Girl Who Came Between Them'' (1990)
* ''[[Blood River (1991 film)|Blood River]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Class of '96]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Picket Fences]]'' (1992-1993)
* ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' (1994) (episode: "[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (season_1)#Episodes|Witness]]")
* ''[[Harts of the West]]'' (1994) (episode: "Hart's Vacation")
* ''[[Chicago Hope]]'' (1994)
* ''[[American Gothic]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Nowhere Man (American TV series)|Nowhere Man]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Early Edition]]'' (1996)
* ''The Care and Handling of Roses'' (1996)
* ''Their Second Chance'' (1997)
* ''[[Pacific Palisades (TV series)|Pacific Palisades]]'' (1997)
* ''[[Vengeance Unlimited]]'' (1998)
* ''[[Love Boat: The Next Wave]]'' (1998-1999)
* ''[[Ally (TV series)|Ally]]'' (1999)
* ''[[The Practice]]'' (1998-2000)
* ''[[Boston Public]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Titans (2000 TV series)|Titans]]'' (2000)
* ''The Clark Family'' (2001)
* ''[[Ally McBeal]]'' (1997-2001)
* ''[[The Tick (2001 TV series)|The Tick]]'' (2002) (episode: "The Tick vs. Justice")
* ''[[The Guardian (TV series)|The Guardian]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Everwood]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Without a Trace]]'' (2003)
* ''[[1-800-Missing]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Judging Amy]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Darcy's Wild Life]]'' (2004-2006) (episodes: "Darcy's Wild Life", "Puppy Love" and "Swine Flew the Coop")
* ''[[Kevin Hill (TV series)|Kevin Hill]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Point Pleasant (TV series)|Point Pleasant]]'' (2005)
* ''[[Boston Legal]]'' (2004-2005)
* ''[[Charmed (TV series)|Charmed]]'' (1999-2006)
* ''[[Las Vegas (TV series)|Las Vegas]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Beautiful People (US TV series)|Beautiful People]]'' (2006)
* ''[[The Wedding Bells]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Psych (TV series)|Psych]]'' (2006-2014)
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=YB6tyFdq5TcC&dq=%22Mel+Damski%22&pg=PA112 Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors: Volume 1 - Page 112]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150805220001/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/86646/Mel-Damski New York Times Movies & TV Database]
==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0198991}}
{{Mel Damski}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Damski, Mel}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Film producers from New York (state)]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:AFI Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:American television directors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Film directors from New York City]]