Mel Shaw

American animator, design artist, writer, and artist

For the American racing driver, see Mel Shaw (racing driver).

Mel Shaw

Born|

Melvin Schwartzman

December 19, 1914 (1914-12-19)

Brooklyn, New York

Died| November 22, 2012 (2012-11-23) (aged 97)

Reseda, California

Occupations|

* Animator
* design artist
* writer
* artist

Mel Shaw (born Melvin Schwartzman; December 19, 1914 – November 22, 2012) was an American animator, design artist, writer, and artist. Shaw was involved in the animation, story design, and visual development of numerous Disney animated films, beginning with Bambi, which was released in 1942.[1][2] His other animated film credits, usually involving animation design or the story, included The Rescuers in 1977, The Fox and the Hound in 1981, The Black Cauldron in 1985, The Great Mouse Detective in 1986, Beauty and the Beast in 1991, and The Lion King in 1994.[1][2] He was named a Disney Legend in 2004 for his contributions to The Walt Disney Company.[1]

## Early life[edit]

Shaw was born on December 19, 1914, in Brooklyn, New York.[2] His mother was an opera singer and his father was a lawyer.[2] He was the second oldest of four brothers born to his parents.[2]

## Career[edit]

Shaw began his career in entertainment industry as a silent film title card creator at Pacific Title and Art, a company owned by film producer, Leon Schlesinger.[1] He next worked for Orson Welles in the early 1930s, where Shaw helped to create a storyboard The Little Prince, though the proposed Welles film was never created.[1] Shaw would later join the Harman-Ising Studio, working on the Early Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, as well as MGM's Happy Harmonies series.

Shaw was personally recruited by Walt Disney to work on the 1942 animated classic, Bambi.[1][2] He left Disney Studios to enlist in the Army Signal Corps, where he served as a combat photographer during World War II.

Shaw returned to Disney's animation department in 1974 at the invitation of Walt Disney Studios.[1] He returned to work on Disney animated films and mentored a new generation of animators. His last film at Disney was The Lion King, released in 1994.[1]

Shaw partnered with former MGM Studios animator Bob Allen to establish a design firm.[1] Under Shaw and Allen, their company designed Howdy Doody for NBC during the late 1940s.[1][2]

He was among a couple of artists who worked at Disney both during its Golden Age within the late-1930s as well as during the studio's resurgence within the 1990s.[1]

## Death[edit]

Shaw died from congestive heart failure on November 22, 2012, at the Woodland Care Center in Reseda, California, at the age of 97.[1] His first wife, Louise, died in 1984.[2] Shaw's second wife, Florence Lounsbery, who died in 2004, was the widow of Disney animator, John Lounsbery.[2] They had resided in Acampo, California, for more than twenty years.[2]

## Filmography[edit]

* We're in the Money (short) (animator - uncredited) - 1933
* Tale of the Vienna Woods (short) (story, animator and character layouts - uncredited) - 1934
* Toyland Broadcast (short) (animator - uncredited) - 1934
* Good Little Monkeys (short) (animator - uncredited) - 1935
* Alias St. Nick (short) (animator - uncredited) - 1935
* Bottles (short) (animator - uncredited) - 1936
* To Spring (short) (animator - uncredited) - 1936
* Merbabies (short) (animator - uncredited) - 1938
* Fantasia (visual development artwork) - 1940
* Dumbo \- 1941
* Bambi (writer, visual development artwork) - 1942
* The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (visual development artwork for the Mr. Toad segment) - 1949
* Disneyland \- (story for the Tricks of Our Trade episode) - 1957
* The Rescuers \- 1977
* Deadman's Curve (TV Movie) (writer: "Baby Talk" song) - 1978
* The Fox and the Hound (creative assistant to the producers) - 1981
* The Black Cauldron (writer) - 1985
* The Great Mouse Detective (writer) - 1986
* It's Howdy Doody Time (TV special) (thanks - as Melvin Shaw) - 1987
* Beauty and the Beast (production consultant: visual development) - 1991
* The Lion King (visual development artist) - 1994
* Tarzan (assistant animator) - 1999
* Treasure Planet (key animator) - 2002
* Brother Bear (character designer) - 2003
* Finding Grandma (short) (editor) - 2010

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnes, Mike (November 30, 2012). "Legendary Disney Animator Mel Shaw Dies at 97". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Nelson, Valerie J. (November 29, 2012). "Mel Shaw Dies at 97; Disney Design Drtist". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2012.

## External links[edit]

* Mel Shaw at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Disney Legends Awards (2000s)

2000|

* Grace Bailey*
* Harriet Burns
* Joyce Carlson
* Ron Dominguez
* Cliff Edwards*
* Becky Fallberg
* Dick Jones
* Dodie Roberts
* Retta Scott*
* Ruthie Tompson

2001|

* Howard Ashman*
* Bob Broughton
* George Bruns*
* Frank Churchill*
* Leigh Harline*
* Fred Joerger
* Alan Menken
* Martin Sklar
* Ned Washington*
* Tyrus Wong

2002|

* Ken Annakin
* Hugh Attwooll
* Maurice Chevalier*
* Phil Collins
* Sir John Mills
* Robert Newton*
* Sir Tim Rice
* Robert Stevenson*
* Richard Todd
* David Tomlinson*

2003|

* Neil Beckett*
* Salvador Camarata
* Edna Francis Disney*
* Lillian Disney*
* Orlando Ferrante
* Richard Fleischer
* Floyd Gottfredson*
* Buddy Hackett*
* Harrison "Buzz" Price
* Al Taliaferro*
* Ilene Woods

2004|

* Bill Anderson*
* Tim Conway
* Rolly Crump
* Alice Davis
* Karen Dotrice
* Matthew Garber*
* Leonard H. Goldenson*
* Bob Gurr
* Ralph Kent
* Irwin Kostal*
* Mel Shaw

2005|

* Chuck Abbott*
* Milt Albright
* Hideo Amemiya*
* Hideo Aramaki
* Chuck Boyajian*
* Charles Boyer
* Randy Bright*
* James Cora
* Robert Jani*
* Mary Jones
* Art Linkletter
* Mary Anne Mang
* Steve Martin
* Tom Nabbe
* Jack Olsen*
* Cicely Rigdon
* William Sullivan
* Jack Wagner*
* Vesey Walker*

2006|

* Tim Considine
* Kevin Corcoran
* Al Dempster*
* Don Edgren
* Paul Frees*
* Peter Jennings*
* Sir Elton John
* Jimmy Johnson*
* Tommy Kirk
* Joe Ranft*
* David Stollery
* Ginny Tyler

2007|

* Roone Arledge*
* Art Babbitt*
* Carl Bongirno
* Marge Champion
* Dick Huemer*
* Ron Logan
* Lucille Martin
* Tom Murphy
* Randy Newman
* Floyd Norman
* Bob Schiffer*
* Dave Smith

2008|

* Wayne Allwine
* Bob Booth
* Neil Gallagher*
* Frank Gifford
* Burny Mattinson
* Walter Peregoy
* Dorothea Redmond
* Russi Taylor
* Toshio Kagami
* Ian McGuinness
* Barbara Walters
* Oliver Wallace*

2009|

* Tony Anselmo
* Harry Archinal
* Beatrice Arthur*
* Bill Farmer
* Estelle Getty*
* Don Iwerks
* Rue McClanahan
* Leota Toombs Thomas*
* Betty White
* Robin Williams

* Awarded posthumously

* Complete list
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s
* 2010s
* 2020s

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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