Balto

"His story became a legend. His adventure is one you'll never forget."

1995 1h 18m EN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 2,266

AdventureAnimationDramaFamily

Synopsis

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An outcast half-wolf risks his life to prevent a deadly epidemic from ravaging Nome, Alaska.

“His story became a legend. His adventure is one you'll never forget.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Kevin Bacon
Balto (voice)
Bob Hoskins
Boris the Goose (voice)
Bridget Fonda
Jenna (voice)
Jim Cummings
Steele the Sled Dog (voice)
Phil Collins
Muk and Luk (voice)
Juliette Brewer
Young Rosy (voice)
Jack Angel
Nikki (voice)
Danny Mann
Kaltag (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Simon Wells
Writers: Elana Lesser, Roger S.H. Schulman, Elana Lesser
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 37% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Balto Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Simon Wells, shot by Jan Richter-Friis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sim Evan-Jones shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Simon Wells directs. Jan Richter-Friis behind the camera. James Horner scores. Sim Evan-Jones cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Earned back only 37% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
331 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4International production across 2 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom.
5Part of the "Balto Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
6Directed by Simon Wells, shot by Jan Richter-Friis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by James Horner. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Sim Evan-Jones shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Kevin Bacon and Bob Hoskins and Bridget Fonda carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "His story became a legend. His adventure is one you'll never forget.".
11IMDB entry: tt0112453 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 13 themes, including "wolf", "pet", "cartoon", "villain".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jan Richter-Friis
Original score: James Horner
Editing: Sim Evan-Jones
Production design: Hans Bacher
Sound: Steve Maslow
Runtime: 78 min · 1h 18m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $31,000,000
Box office: $11,348,324
Return: 37% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Balto (1995)

Part of

Balto Collection

Balto is a 1995 American live-action/animated historical adventure drama film directed by Simon Wells, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is loosely based on a true story about the dog of the same name who helped save children from the diphtheria epidemic in the 1925 serum run to Nome. The live-action portions of the film were filmed at Central Park, in New York City. Followed by two direct-to-video sequels: Balto II: Wolf Quest (2002), and Balto III: Wings of Change (2004).

Also by

Simon Wells

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Community reviews

What people are saying

FleshWound2025-01-20
★ 9/10
Balto is an a underrated treasure with memorable characters, endearing moments, howling humor, and canine villainy/heroism that rivals movies from Disney's golden-age. You'll be rooting for the literal underdog throughout while all of the supporting characters add to the charm. It's a top-tier family movie that has zero foul language and zero religious slurs, with the only near-miss being when one character says "Son of a...", leaving the phrase unfinished. If you like a good sled-dog movie, this is one of the best!

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