When I first picked up “Balto” for my kids, I didn’t know it was based on a true story. I was fascinated to learn the history behind the film, and I’d like to share a little bit of that with you before we leap into the film itself.
Back in 1925, a huge outbreak of diphtheria swept through Nome, Alaska, leaving many children on the brink of death. The people badly needed diphtheria antitoxin, but the closest source was in Anchorage, nearly a thousand miles away. Another team brought the medicine as far as they could, then it was passed off to the sled pulled by Balto, and he brought it the rest of the way.
The Iditarod race each year is run in commemoration of those dogs, and a statue honoring Balto was erected in Central Park in New York City, where it still stands today.
And that is where the film begins – with a little girl and her grandmother going to see the statue. The grandmother tells the little girl the story of Balto, and we go from live action to animation as we hear what happened.
The movie is rather loosely based on history. Steele is the lead dog of a team that is known for winning, and his approach to victory isn’t always the most polite. We see evidence of this in the first race of the movie. Balto is just a dog about town, observing the race but not really involved, until he catches sight of Jenna, a beautiful dog owned by a little girl named Rosy. Everything from here on out is done to impress Jenna, and this annoys Steele, who is also in love with her. We not only have macho issues to contend with, but competition for the girl, as well.
When the diphtheria crisis strikes, Jenna’s owner Rosy is one of the children who gets sick. Both Balto and Steele want to be a hero, so they compete to be on the sled teams to go fetch the medicine. Balto saves the day and wins fair lady in the end.
The movie was interesting but it wasn’t as true to history as I would have liked. The sleds that really did fetch the medicine were a relay team, and while Balto did run the last leg, in the movie he is credited with many of the deeds that were actually performed by other dogs. Additionally, in the movie, Balto is half wolf, but in reality, he wasn’t.
I found this movie a good jumping-off point to learn the real story and for teaching it to my kids. I think you and your family will enjoy it as well.
This film was rated G.
Related Blogs: