Mel Shaw
Writer · Died November 22, 2012, aged 97 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
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. 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. He was named a Disney Legend in 2004 for his contributions to the Walt Disney Company. -Wikipedia
Read moreShow less
Biography from TMDB.
- December 19, 1914
- November 22, 2012 (aged 97)
- Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- Writer
- 6 on MovieCove · 9 credits in all
What are Mel Shaw's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Ideas.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 1
Grounded 0 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 4
Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 0
Steady 0 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0
Casual 4 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 0
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Mel Shaw's films?
As of October 24, 2026, all 6 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, on Disney+ (6).
Subscription and free streaming for Mel Shaw's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
9 credits, 6 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

Fantasia 2000(1999)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Lion King(1994)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
The Black Cauldron(1985)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The Rescuers(1977)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Tricks of Our Trade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

Bambi(1942)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all filmsTale of the Vienna Woods (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Career shape
A full career of 7 titles from 1934 to 1994.
How do Mel Shaw's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 85th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up5
- 50th to 74th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 6 titles divides audiences: 5 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser5
Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Mel Shaw's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Mel Shaw work with?
People who share at least 2 of Mel Shaw's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Algar shares the most, 2.
Directors
- James AlgarShared titles: Fantasia 2000 (1999), Bambi (1942)See all 2 shared titles with James Algar

Writers
- Carl FallbergShared titles: Fantasia 2000 (1999), Bambi (1942)See all 2 shared titles with Carl Fallberg
- Perce PearceShared titles: Fantasia 2000 (1999), Bambi (1942)See all 2 shared titles with Perce Pearce
- Burny MattinsonShared titles: The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Burny Mattinson

- John MuskerShared titles: The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 2 shared titles with John Musker

Editors
- James MeltonShared titles: The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 2 shared titles with James Melton
Producers
- Ron MillerShared titles: The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Ron Miller

Mixed roles
- Roy Edward DisneyShared titles: Fantasia 2000 (1999), The Black Cauldron (1985)See all 2 shared titles with Roy Edward Disney
