Melville A. Leven (11 November, 1914–17 December, 2007) was anAmerican composer and lyricist who had a long association withthe Walt Disney Company, although he also wrote songs forPeggy Lee ("Every Time"),The Andrews Sisters ("Commoners Boogy"),Nat King Cole,Dean Martin, andLes Brown, among others.

Mel Leven was born in Chicago. His most famous song is arguably "Cruella de Vil" from the 1961 Disney animated featureOne Hundred and One Dalmatians, which is claimed to have been written in homage toThelonious Monk's "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are".^[1] That same year, he also wrote the story and new lyrics to sixteen tunes for the filmBabes in Toyland. In later years, he wrote songs, stories, and did voice-over work for thePBS children's seriesBig Blue Marble, as well as working on a number of projects for television commercials. He also composed "When The Buzzards Return To Hinckley Ridge" for the 1969 Disney animated short, "It's Tough to Be a Bird", which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Short Subject in 1970. The song was sung by comedianRuth Buzzi.

Leven was also inSnap, Crackle, Pop commercials. He also wrote theLittle Ranger Nature series for Disney in the 1960s.

His work has been honored with twoEmmy Awards and twoPeabody Awards.

Aconservationist and talentedfly fisherman, in retirement Leven traveled the world in pursuit of fish and became a beloved fixture along Northern California rivers in particular.^[2] He features prominently in the 2009 documentaryRivers of a Lost Coast, on the decline of the Californiasteelhead population.^[3]

According to his son, Leven died on December 17, 2007. He was 93. Mel Leven was divorced and had two children, Bill Leven and a daughter Laurie Fondiler/Leven. His first wife was Vera and second wife' mother of Bill and Laurie was, Jeanie Francis.

• Works written by: LEVEN MELVILLE A at theAmerican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
• Mel Leven atIMDb
• Mel Leven Biography fromMusic Theatre International