The faces of the voices behind the characters!

This topic was posted on Maya and Tibb's "Balto's Treasure" forum and on my "History of the 1925 Nome Serum Run" forum.

Well, I haven't posted anything on the Balto cartoon movies in a WHILE! lol So, this will be my first real Balto cartoon topic on this forum.

In this topic, I would like to examine the characters of all three Balto cartoon movies, and the faces of the actors or voice talent artists behind them. The movies are a who's-who of not only the acting world, but also of the voice-over world of cartoons and video games...with some very famous names as well as those which are more obscure. Some of the voice talent artists have done work for some of the most famous cartoon characters of recent years, and on some video games. And the actors and actresses...well, you'll see!

In these sections, the photos of the real people I have used may or MAY NOT be from the same time frame as the cartoon movies they worked on. I have no way of assuring when the photos were taken. Most are publicity photos or industry head shots (used by actors and voice artists, and their agents, to promote them to studio casting directors). Some of the names and faces you will recognize right off the bat...others will seem totally new to you.

Let's go movie by movie...starting with:

BALTO
You know all of the production details, so I will forego those (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112453). Produced in 1995, this was the one which is very loosely based upon the real history of the 1925 Nome Serum Run. Here are the characters themselves, and the faces of the people who brought them "to life":

1. Balto
Balto was voiced by actor (and Philadelphia, PA native) Kevin Bacon. Personally, I felt his delivery was rather dry and unemotional for the most part...rather like actor Kevin Costner's style. But then, Bacon is not known for emotional expressivity. lol Still, he didn't do a BAD job (I just personally feel that Maurice LaMarche, who took the role for the two Balto sequels, did a far better job). Kevin Bacon, of course, is known for a plethora of great characters he's played in movies spanning the last twenty years at least. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Bacon)




2. Jenna
In the first movie, Jenna is played very emotively by actress Bridget Fonda, of the famous (AND infamous) Fonda family. She's had a long acting career, but only in a few really well-known movies (Snow Queen, Army of Darkness, Single White Female, Doc Hollywood, Jackie Brown, and Finding Graceland). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridget_Fonda)




3. Boris
Veteran British character actor Bob Hoskins plays Boris in this movie. An expert at a variety of accents (including the Russian he does here, as well as some American accents), he's a natural for cartoon voice work. Hoskins has also had a LONG career in movies and television, and is perhaps best known, to the folks on this forum, as the character Eddie Valiant from the Disney movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096438), though he's appeared in many other great roles over the years. What I happen to like best about Hoskins' job as playing Boris is that he seems to fit so naturally and easily into the part...more relaxed and natural than even veteran voice artist Charles Fleischer, who took over the Boris character in the two sequels. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hoskins)




4. Steele
Voice talent artist Jim Cummings lends a very gritty, egotistical, and selfish aire to the character of Steele. A veteran of many great cartoon roles (though he has also acted a little), Cummings was perfect for the villain in this. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Cummings)




5. Rosy
Rosy appears twice in this movie...in the beginning and end as a grandmother in the present day (in live action), and in the rest of the movie as a little girl (in animation as a flashback the grandmother is having...which basically consists of ALL the animated scenes as one big flashback). In the cartoon, she's voiced by young actress Juliette Brewer. I had a HARD time finding a photo of this girl, and only a small shot of her portraying one of the Little Rascals from the 1994 movie remake of the classic early 20th century Little Rascals series. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0108186)




6. Muk and Luk
These two characters are voiced by singer/songwriter Phil Collins, the former drummer and lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_%28band%29). Phil Collins is also known to have done soundtrack songs for many recent cartoon movies by various studios (including, and mostly, Disney), though he did not do any for the Balto cartoons. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Collins)




7. Nikki
The big dog with the Brooklyn (New York) accent, whose breed has been a point of contention for some time on Balto Source (some say big fat husky, others say Chow Chow), Nikki's a fun character. And he is voiced by voice talent artist Jack Angel. He has worked in many cartoons, though usually as "additional voices". However, he has also had a few good roles. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Angel)




8. Kaltag
Another great character, Kaltag is voiced by voice talent artist Danny Mann who, again, usually appears in cartoon work as "additional voices", though he also has had some minor roles. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Mann)




9. Star
The skittish, comic-relief character of Star is played very convincingly, and entertainingly, by veteran actor Robbie Rist, who is perhaps known better for the role of "Cousin Oliver", from the last couple of seasons of the Brady Bunch series of the 1970s, than any other (when he was just a kid, of course). He's done other television roles since, and lots of voice talent work, and is actually quite a versatile artist! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Rist)




10. Sylvie and Dixie
The gossiping Afghan Hound with the stereotypical American Jewish woman's voice and accent, as well as the lovelorn, sexy and flirty Dixie, are played by actress Sanda Dickinson, who's had a career of roles in movies and television series which, in most cases, might not ring a bell for most of you. Still, they're great roles, and she did a great job with them! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Dickinson)




11. Doc
The quiet, wise old dog (who is most likely a Saint Bernard) who appears in this movie, and then in cameo in Balto 3: Wings of Change, is played by another veteran British actor, Donald Sinden. Most of us might not recognize his work, as he has appeared mostly in British and European television (those of you from "across the pond" might perhaps know him better than we Americans and Canadians). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Sinden)




12. Rosy's father
Actor William Roberts plays Rosy's father in this movie. This actor has appeared in several movies and television shows, but one of the most recent (and perhaps best known) of these would be the movie Cold Mountain. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0731681)




13. Telegraph Operator
The old telegraph operator, who is never mentioned by name in this movie, is played by actor Garrick Hagon, who is known the best to most of us for his role of "Biggs Darklighter" in the movie Star Wars: A New Hope (episode four, the first one to appear in theaters in 1977)...the moustachioed X-wing pilot who is Luke Skywalker's wingman and friend from his home planet. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrick_Hagon)




The only other secondary characters who are not credited for their voices (or names) in this movie are Rosy's mother (probably played by one of the female voice talent artists listed on the IMDB page as "uncredited"), and the doctor (there are some uncredited male voice actors listed. The credits also list the butcher and his voice artist, but I haven't covered him here. And a "town dog", who's voice artist is also listed. But again, I don't list him. He's probably the dog who asks Doc "what about them little ones?").

To continue...

BALTO 2: WOLF QUEST
The least-well received by Balto cartoon fans...mostly due to the poor animation and art quality, but perhaps also because of the odd storyline, which departs from the dogsledding foundations of the first movie, and because a lot of younger Balto cartoon fans don't care for Aleu's personality (which I rather thought was quite appropriate for the character's age and gender, frankly. lol). There are still some memorable characters (and great voices) which come from this first sequel to the Balto cartoon "franchise", even if it was produced by a different department at Universal Pictures, and without the involvement of either Steven Spielberg's Amblimation (now Amblin Entertainment), or of essentially ALL of the original actors and voice talent artists. Clearly, the writers wanted to explore Balto's wolf origins a bit more with this movie. However, they may have overdone it a bit with the resulting storyline, and the reliance upon Native American mysticism and throwing it haphazardly into the midst of a wolf pack as if that were natural and expected.

This was also the point where Universal decided to do what other production companies do with their sequels...go direct-to-video rather than televised or theatrical release, which saved lots of money in production costs, but also shows through in quality - as direct-to-video productions are NEVER budgeted as much money as theatrical ones. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281634)

To wit:

1. Balto
From this point forward, Balto was recast with veteran voice talent artist Maurice LaMarche, who has had a long and noteworthy career in cartoon work, and played some pretty big characters and in some pretty big cartoons! Personally, I feel that he did a much more emotive and dramatic job of portraying Balto than Kevin Bacon did in the first movie. And it only improved by the next sequel. However, this is somewhat understandable...Maurice LaMarche's whole career is built around voice work. Kevin Bacon's done very little...and being an actor, he's got to think not only about his voice, but also his facial expressions and physical acting. Yet, while most Balto fans seem to think that LaMarche's voice is a lot different than Bacon's (he does portray Balto with a bit of an older, grittier sound), if you listen to the two voices immediately one after the other, you'll find a remarkable similarity in timbre and tonal quality. LaMarche, in fact, was working to sound like an older (and more emotive) Kevin Bacon. That's how I see (and hear) it. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_LaMarche)




2. Jenna
For both sequels, Jenna was recast with veteran voice talent artist Jodi Benson, who has done A LOT of great work, but is most known for giving voice to Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid (and its sequels), and Lady from Disney's Lady And The Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure. I think she did a good job in the two sequels. However, her voice is not as soft and smooth as Bridget Fonda's Jenna...that's for sure. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodi_Benson)




3. Aleu
The scrappy, emotionally-conflicted, rebellious "teenaged" Aleu is played quite well by actress Lacey Chabert, who's been in a long string of B-movies (and a few noteworthy ones, like Daddy Day Care and Not Another Teen Movie), and also done some voice talent work. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacey_Chabert)




4. Boris
The companion and "father" of Balto is recast, for the sequels, with veteran voice talent artist and occasional actor Charles Fleischer, a veteran of some FAMOUS cartoon work! He's most noted for his portrayal of Roger Rabbit and Bennie the Cab in the Disney movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, though he has a LONG list of credits to his work. Personally, I thought he didn't portray Boris as well as Bob Hoskins...he came off as a bit too, well, stereotypical Jewish mother rather than feisty, irascible Russian (no offense intended towards anyone). Still, Fleischer's talent should never be underestimated! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fleischer)




5. Aniu
Balto's mysterious mother, a "spirit guide" in this movie, is given voice by television actress Monnae Michaell, who's appeared in many television series primarily in guest roles. Her beautiful voice lends an other-worldly, ethereal quality to Balto's mother, and makes her one of the most memorable characters of the entire movie (if perhaps one of the least-seldom seen). This character is, of course, the one which the sequels producer, Phil Weinstein, confirmed is the same as the unnamed, mysterious white wolf which appears to Balto in the first movie, though that fact was not established IN that movie in any way. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910563)




6. Nava
The other rather mysterious character in this movie, Nava is portrayed as a sort of "wolf shaman", so to speak. He is the leader of the clan (pack) of wolves in the movie, and has some "magical" powers (which of course is where things really get weird). Still, he is a good, wise old character, and likeable as well. And to bring him "to life", they couldn't have chosen a better talent than veteran actor and martial artist David Carradine, who has appeared in a great many movies and television shows, but most noteably the Kung Fu TV series. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Carradine)




7. Niju
The "bad" wolf (and bully) of Nava's pack, who seems to get a lot of bad reactions from young Balto cartoon fans (mainly because they show whiskers on him...which, my dear friends, ALL dogs and other canines have...even if they rarely appear in animation), he is still not a poor character, even if some of you seem to want to compare him to a weak version of Steele also. He is portrayed by another veteran actor, Mark Hamill (known best of all for his recurring role of Luke Skywalker in the first three Star Wars movies to be released theatrically, episodes 4-6). He has also done a LOT of voice talent work in cartoons, and has appeared as the character The Joker in the Warner Brothers animated series Batman, Superman and Justice League...which demonstrates his incredible flexibility of talent. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hamill)




8. Muru
Another "spirit guide" in the movie, Muru is the wise little singing mouse who appears to Aleu. And he is played by actor Peter MacNicol, who has appeared in many popular and noteworthy movies over the years (usually playing a spineless, snivelling fall guy for other characters), and amassed a great deal of credit for them. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_MacNicol)




9. Dingo
The only case of a male character being voiced by an actress (in the Balto cartoons), the puppy Dingo is voiced by young Nicolette Little, who appeared in a series of B-movies and some television episodes, but is quite a talented little girl! (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0514639)




10. Saba
One of only four puppies of Balto and Jenna named in this movie (the others are, of course, Aleu, Dingo and Kodi. Two were mysteriously left unnamed). Saba was voiced by young Melanie Spore, who did some minor voice talent work in a few cartoon movies, but nothing more. And there is no picture for her at all anywhere on the internet. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0819434)




11. Sumac (and the terrier and "wolverine #2")
Voice talent artist Rob Paulsen was given three roles to play in this movie (as were a few other voice talent artists), playing not only the annoying terrier who announces the birth of Balto & Jenna's pups, and one of the wolverine spirit guides who appear to Balto, but also Sumac, the whiny, snivelly, tan, flea-bitten wolf who is one of Niju's underlings. This is a funny character, and Paulsen does a great job with him. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Paulsen)




12. Nuk (and the hunter)
Veteran voice talent artist Joe Alaskey (catchy name, huh? lol) gives voice not only to the Inuit hunter who tries to shoot Aleu, but also to the big brown wolf who is another of Niju's underlings - the one who's always hungry. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Alaskey)




13. Yak
The last of Niju's underlings, the lazy, whiney gray wolf is portrayed very well by veteran voice talent artist Jeff Bennett. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bennett)




14. Muk & Luk (and "wolverine #1")
The comic relief characters of Muk & Luk were recast, for the Balto sequels, with voice talent artist Kevin Schon, who is in semi-retirement, though he has often done voice over work for other cartoons (and often replaces actor Nathan Lane for characters he's done). Schon is no apparent relation to Journey band member Neil Schon. He also portrays one of the wolverine "spirit guides" who appear to Balto in this movie. Apparently, though, he's not well-known enough for a head shot or photo anywhere on the internet. lol (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0774735)




15. Fox (and "wolverine #3")
Veteran voice talent artist Mary Kay Bergman gives voice to two "spirit guides" in this movie: Fox, "the cunning trickster", and the third "wolverine". She's done some great voice over work in her time! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Kay_Bergman)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand finally...

BALTO 3: WINGS OF CHANGE
Also produced as a "direct-to-video" release, this sequel returned to the dogsledding foundations of the first movie. It is also of better production quality than the second, in terms of animation and artwork. Plus, the recurrent characters returned with their voice talents from Balto 2: Wolf Quest, and obviously feeling more comfortable and familiar with their parts.

What's great about this movie is that, while it is still a completely fictional story, it has an entirely historically-plausible storyline (apart from the Balto wolf-dog thing, and the idea of Balto as a father. Two elements we have long since established are utter fantasies). Not only is the basic storyline of the threat to dogsledding as a means of primary transportation and mail delivery quite real and plausible for the 1920s in Alaska, but the appearance of the bush plane and it's consideration as a means of carrying mail across Alaska faster. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423849)

So...

1. Balto
Voice talent artist Maurice LaMarche reprises his portrayal of an older, wiser, gentler, more affable Balto in this second sequel. And here, Balto gains a more heroic role than in the last sequel. For more on Maurice LaMarche, see my notes and links in the Balto 2 post.




2. Jenna
Voice talent artist Jodi Benson returns again to reprise her portrayal of a now more confident Jenna...older and more mellow than in the last sequel, but not the heroic young dog she was in the first. Rather more the domestic pet. For more on Jodi Benson, see my notes and links in the Balto 2 post.




3. Kodi
One of Balto's sons gets his own movie. Heh. Kodi is portrayed in this movie by the very well-known and versatile actor Sean Astin, who is best known recently for his portrayal of hobbit Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Despite the age of the actor, his youthful voice is what won him this part (and no doubt his resume as well). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Astin)




4. Boris
Veteran voice talent artist and occasional actor Charles Fleischer returns to reprise his role as Boris in this movie, and obviously a bit more naturally and comfortably than in Balto 2 (and a BIT more Russian this time). For more on Charles Fleischer, see my notes and links in the Balto 2 post.




5. Duke
One of the most dynamic and in-depth human characters shown in ANY of the Balto movies (save maybe for little Rosy), Duke, the bush pilot, is portrayed quite well, and warmly, by actor Keith Carradine, half-brother of veteran actor David Carradine (who portrayed Nava in Balto 2). He has appeared in many movies and television series, but perhaps is most recently best known for his work in Into The West and Deadwood. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Carradine)




6. Kirby
The lead dog of the team which Kodi has joined is voiced by actor Carl Weathers, who has a long list of movie and television roles to his credit. But he could not possibly be known better than for his role as Apollo Cree in Rocky and Rocky 2. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Weathers)




7. Ralph
Goofy, dopey, loveable Ralph is portrayed, in this movie, by voice talent artist and actor Bill Fagerbakke, who has done a great deal of cartoon voice work, and appeared in such television series as Heroes and Coach. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Fagerbakke)




8. Dusty
The female member of Kirby's team, and a staunch realist, Dusty is portrayed by voice talent artist Charity James, who has appeared in many cartoons and done some live-action voice over work, and also did a few runs as an actress. (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0416349)




9. Mel
Veteran actor and occasional voice talent artist David Paymer brought nervous-nellie terrier Mel "to life" in a beautiful comic-relief way in this movie! Some people see Mel and Dipsy as sad replacements for Sylvie and Dixie (from the first Balto movie), but I don't get why. Sure, they both love to gossip, but do we really believe that Sylvie and Dixie are the only two dogs in the cartoon version of Nome who do so? Besides, Mel being the pet to the postmaster is much more reasonable for this movie. As is giving him a best buddy in the form of Dipsy. David Paymer has many great movies to his credit, but I still think I like him best in the Mel Gibson movie Payback. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Paymer)




10. Dipsy
Dispy, Mel's chunky, loveably-sneaky, beef-jerky addicted pal (who is obviously some kind of overweight spaniel) may have been conceived either as a subtle romantic interest for Mel, or just a best friend and commiserator. I still enjoy the character, and don't find her or Mel to be shallow replacements for Sylvie and Dixie (from the first movie) at all. They stand on their own as dynamic characters. This pet of Mr. Gundersen, the owner of the general store next to the Nome post office, is played quite well by actress Kathy Najimy. She's had many roles, but she could not possibly be known better for anything other than her portrayal as the bubbly, portly Catholic nun, Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act and Sister Act 2. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Najimy)




11. Stella
A lot of younger Balto cartoon fans really seem to despise this character. Again, I just don't get that. Obviously perceived as a love interest for Boris, Stella is not the very slutty, sleazy character many accuse her of being. She is a more mature character, yes...and a tiny bit risqué. But no more (or little more) than, say, Dixie (from the first movie). I think she's a great character. And she was portrayed very well by actress and veteran voice talent artist Jean Smart, who has had several roles in both areas, but perhaps most noteably in the Frasier television series and the Kim Possible animated series. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Smart)




12. Muk and Luk
Reprised, for this sequel, by voice talent artist Kevin Schon once again, it is clear that he, too, started to fit a bit better into the roles the second time around. For more on Kevin Schon, see my notes and links in the Balto 2 post. And please forgive me...I used the same picture of Muk and Luk here that I did in the Balto 2 post (this being FROM Balto 2).




I watched the credits of Balto 3: Wings of Change, and have learned that the following voice talent artists mentioned above, in the Balto 3 post, did the following additional characters:

Maurice LaMarche: moose 1 and moose 2

Charles Fleischer: White Mountain's Post Master

Bill Fagerbakke: Mr. Conner (Nome's Post Master)

Kevin Schon: Mr. Simpson (the musher of Kirby's team)

However, the voice of Mr. Gundersen, the general store owner, is not credited on the DVD or on the IMDB page.

Okay...I said earlier that I was going to do this. So here it is.

In my first post, above, I mentioned in the section about Rosy and Juliette Brewer that there was no photo of her on the internet (which I could find) save for an obscure shot of her and a bunch of other kids from the 1994 Little Rascals movie (and a related one which you can see from her IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0108186). Now, in those photos, there are at least three girls visible, and no way of immediately telling who's who, and which of them is Juliette Brewer. Without another picture of just her to go on, one might say that there is no way of concluding that the girl I selected, from the one photo, IS Juliette Brewer for certain. Until...

...In the credits for the Little Rascals movie on IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110366), Juliette Brewer is credited as playing the original Little Rascal character Mary Ann Jackson (which is the real name of the actress who played her, too). The original Mary Ann Jackson had a very distinctive appearance in the original Little Rascals series of the 1920s and 30s. Look at her photo, and then the selection of the photo I provided for my section on Juliette Brewer, as evidence of my thinking (and then the link for the Wikipedia page about the original Mary Ann Jackson, from which the below photo comes) for addition information:




Mary Ann Jackson was the only original Little Rascal with that particular "bob" ("Dutch boy") haircut...and the only character in the 1994 movie with the same. Thus my conclusion. Heh. And our look at Juliette Brewer (at least in character in another movie, that is). Here, then, is the original Mary Ann Jackson's Wikipedia page, as promised: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Ann_Jackson.