Balto (film)

In 1995, director Simon Wells brought the animated adventure *Balto* to theaters, a film produced by Amblin Entertainment and released by Universal Pictures. The story takes loose inspiration from the real-life 1925 serum run to Nome, where a dog named Balto helped deliver medicine to children sick with diphtheria. The voice cast includes Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, and Bob Hoskins, with Phil Collins contributing songs to the soundtrack. While mostly animated, the movie also uses live-action segments set in New York City's Central Park, with Miriam Margolyes playing a grandmother telling a story. This was the last film made by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, which closed in 1997.

The movie hit U.S. theaters on December 22, 1995, but it didn't do well financially, largely because it was overshadowed by *Toy Story*. However, strong home video sales later led to two direct-to-video sequels: *Balto II: Wolf Quest* (2002) and *Balto III: Wings of Change* (2004).

**Plot**

In Central Park, an elderly woman and her granddaughter search for a memorial statue. As they rest, the grandmother tells a story set in Nome, Alaska, in 1925. There, a wolfdog named Balto lives on the town's edge with his adoptive goose father, Boris, and two polar bears, Muk and Luk. Balto faces ridicule from both dogs and humans for being a half-breed. His only friends are a young girl named Rosy and her red husky, Jenna, whom Balto has a crush on. The town's top sled dog, a proud and mean Alaskan Malamute named Steele, constantly challenges him.

One night, Rosy and all the children in Nome fall ill with diphtheria. Bad winter weather stops medicine from arriving by air or sea from Anchorage, and the nearest train station is in Nenana. After the Governor of Alaska approves moving the antitoxin by rail, a dog race is held to pick the best sled team. Balto wins the race but is disqualified when Steele reveals his wolf-dog heritage. The team leaves that night with Steele leading, successfully picks up the medicine, but on the return trip, bad weather leaves them lost and stranded at the bottom of a steep slope, with their musher knocked out.

When news reaches Nome, Balto sets out to find them with Boris, Muk, and Luk. Along the way, a grizzly bear attacks, but Jenna follows and helps. The bear chases Balto onto a frozen lake, falls through the ice, and drowns.