Watch Balto (1995) animated film

watch an exciting adventure animated film released in 1995 by Universal Pictures, directed by Simon Wells, screenplay by Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser, based on a true story about indomitable spirit of the sled dogs from Nome, Alaska.

Balto - Half dog and half wolf

Rosy Goes to the Doctor

Dogs race for the sled team

Balto going get the medicine

Do you need a pedigree to help someone

Steele's lying Balto's alive

Indomitable spirit of the sled dogs

Story first lines

GRANDMA: Well, it was here, someplace. GRANDDAUGHTER: But we've already been past here. GRANDMA: The trees have grown so big. It's been so long since my last visit. GRANDDAUGHTER: Come on. Blaze. Grandma, when was the last time you were here? GRANDMA: Years and years ago. Way before you were born, sweetheart. GRANDMA: Now, just a minute. I'm trying to get my bearings. Oh, there are so many paths here. So easy to get turned around. Come on, darling. GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma, we're in the middle of nowhere! GRANDMA: We're right in the middle of New York City! GRANDDAUGHTER: You'll make yourself tired walking so long. GRANDMA: Nonsense. It hasn't been more than a quarter of an hour. Not much further. GRANDDAUGHTER: Blaze is getting tired. GRANDMA: Oh, I see! GRANDDAUGHTER: Grandma, what are we looking for anyway? GRANDMA: Uh, a memorial. GRANDDAUGHTER: A me... what? GRANDMA: A reminder of a wonderful story and a place very far away from here. GRANDDAUGHTER: What place is that. Grandma? GRANDMA: Nome, Alaska. It's a small town almost on top of the world. Now, that really was in the middle of nowhere, sweetheart. In the cold winter of 1925, it was snowing hard. Back then, the fastest and most reliable way of getting around was with teams of dogs pulling long sleds. Races were held every year to find out the best team. And the competition was very fierce.

Pictures of characters

(NOTE: to watch in high resolution, click on them)

Balto, a brave male wolfdog half Husky and half wolf (Kevin Bacon)		Jenna, a beautiful female Husky dog (Bridget Fonda)

Boris, a Russian snow goose and Balto's best friend (Bob Hoskins)		Rosy, Jenna's girl owner (Juliette Brewer)

Steele, a Alaskan Malamute and Balto's rival (Jim Cummings)		Star, dog member of Steele's team (Robbie Rist)

Nikki, a Siberian Husky and a member in Steele's team (Jack Angel)		Kaltag, dog member of Steele's team (Danny Mann)

Muk, a polar bear cub (Phil Collins)		Luk, a polar bear cub (Phil Collins)

Dixie, a female Pomeranian who adores Steele (Sandra Dickinson)		Sylvie, a female Afghan Hound (Sandra Dickinson)

Rosy's father (William Roberts)		Rosy's mother (Sandra Dickinson)

Doctor (Donald Sinden)		Telegraph operator (Garrick Hagon)

Old Rosy, who tells us her wonderful story (Miriam Margolyes)		Rosy's granddaughter (Lola Bates-Campbell)

Full transcript

BORIS: Balto, there's some things I can't do for you. BALTO: Yeah. BORIS: I'm goose, not Cupid. MUSHER: Mush! Gee up, boy. Giddap, Steele! Giddap, giddap! Steele! Whoa! Whoa! STAR: Steele, we're not gonna make it! MUSHER: Easy, now! Easy! Get in line, Steele! Mush! Mush! BALTO: It's the three-mile marker. BORIS: Balto, get your slobbering mouth off me! BALTO: Let's go, Boris. We'll get around back and catch the end of the race. BORIS: Oh, no. No, no, no. I'm a delicate country bird. I hate going into town. BALTO: Ah, come on. What's the worst that can happen? BORIS: Please! Aah! Why do I let you talk me into these things? What the... ?! Eeeh! BUTCHER: Bring that back, you thief! BORIS: You are putting me down now, Mr Golden Retriever? BALTO: Whatever you say, Boris. BORIS: Every time there's a race, you run around like you're in it. BALTO: Maybe one day I will be. BORIS: Heel, boy! Boris Goosinoff is no spring chicken. I'm no spring penguin, either! Oy, it's cold! MAN: Look! The two-mile mark. BALTO: Come on! We don't want to miss the finish. BORIS: Oh, that would be a tragedy. I was being sarcastic. FATHER: OK, you can open your eyes now. ROSY: I love these runners! I love this brush bow! I love this sled! Jenna, you're lead dog! OK, just a minute. Come on. Mush! MOTHER: Then you'll need... this. ROSY: A real musher's hat! We're a real sled team now! Mush! FATHER: Mister Johanssen, the sled is beautiful. MOTHER: We're very grateful. ROSY: Oh, thank you! FATHER: Rosy's grateful too, huh? JOHANSSEN: So I gather! ROSY: Watch this! MOTHER: Coming, sweetheart. FATHER: I don't know, honey, maybe we should've gotten her the doll house! ROSY: It's the one-mile marker. Mush, Jenna, mush! Let's win this race! MOTHER: I think she'll learn to like it! ROSY: Jenna. Easy, girl. DIXIE: Good morning, Jenna. Oughta be a close race, don't you think? Maybe even neck and... neck. SYLVIE: Say something about her new collar before she gets whiplash. JENNA: Dixie, what a pretty collar. Is it new? DIXIE: What? This old thing? Yeah. Do you think, Steele will notice? JENNA: I'm afraid the only way Steele notices anyone is if they're wearing a mirror. MAN: They're comin'! Steele! You can do it! ROSY: Jenna! Stay, girl! Jenna! Hold on. Come on, Steele! Oh, no! My hat! MAN: It's that stray dog! He's gonna ruin the race! STEELE: Hey! Outta my way, lobo. BORIS: When will you learn to stay on the sidelines? TELEGRAPH OPERATOR: To Juneau Daily Chronicle. Stop. Steele wins first race of season. Stop. Three-time winner keeps Golden Collar. Stop. Nome. Stop. That Steele is some dog, huh, Morris? NIKKI: Congratulations there, boss, there. It was a pleasure runnin' behind youse. Of course, the view got monotonous. KALTAG: You are the most amazing, the most exalted, the most pre-eminent, the most top of... STAR: You won! MUSHER: I don't know. You think maybe Steele is losing his edge? PHOTOGRAPHER: Yeah, looks like just about any dog could outrun him. ROSY: What a crazy thing to do just to show off to a pretty girl! I'm sure Jenna would love to have you on her team. FATHER: Hey! Rosy! Stay away from him! ROSY: Dad! FATHER: He might bite you, honey. He's part wolf. ROSY: Now you've hurt his feelings. FATHER: Come on now. DIXIE: Congratulations, Steele. STEELE: Ladies. Hi, there, Jenna. Enjoy the race? JENNA: Yeah. Almost as much as you did. STEELE: Thanks. Jenna, let's go celebrate. I know where all the bones are buried. JENNA: I don't know. Suddenly, I've lost my appetite. STEELE: Well, maybe your taste runs more toward... wolf. ROSY: Jenna! Come on, girl. We're going back home. JENNA: Sorry, Steele. My girl is calling me. DIXIE: On the other hand. my girl is away at boarding school. ROSY: Jenna! BALTO: Jenna, I, uh... FATHER: Jenna. ROSY: Jen! Come on! FATHER: Jenna! Come here, girl.

Watch movie theme song original from soundtrack and others sequels

Reach for the Light

Balto II: Wolf Quest (2002)

Balto III Wings of Change (2004)

Production

Directed by Simon Wells Produced by Steve Hickner Screenplay by Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser, David Steven Cohen, Roger S. H. Schulman Story by Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser Music by James Horner Cinematography Jan Richter-Friis Edited by Renee Edwards, Nick Fletcher, Sim Evan-Jones Production company Amblin Entertainment Amblimation Distributed by Universal Pictures Release date December 22, 1995 Running time 77 minutes

References

The real Balto was only a Siberian Husky. Universal's animators designed him to be partially an Arctic wolf in order to be a more interesting cinematic character.

The real hero of the 1925 serum run was Togo. The twelve-year-old husky led his sled dog team through 260 miles of blowing Alaskan blizzard to deliver emergency diphtheria serum to Nome. Balto received most of the fame, because he led the final 55 miles. In 2019, Walt Disney Pictures produced Togo, an artistic adventure film, inspired by the same real facts.

The seventh and final film score that composer James Horner wrote for an animated film.

Jenna shares similarities with Lady, the cocker spaniel from Disney's Lady and the Tramp (1955) both characters are attractive female dogs who fall in love with diamond-in-the-rough type dogs.

One of the two animated films of 1995 that's based off a true story. The other being Pocahontas (1995).

The final animated feature produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, before he co-founded DreamWorks with David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Most of the Amblimation staff were re-located to DreamWorks Animation.

The film's release was vastly overshadowed by the performance of Disney's Toy Story (1995) and, at best, did modest box office. This led to the closure and disestablishment of Amblimation, but it quickly garnered a strong cult following, and is now regarded as a classic.