The Great Alaskan Race

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The Great Alaskan Race
Great alaskan race.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Brian Presley
Written byBrian Presley
Produced byBrian Presley
Mark David
Will Wallace
StarringBrian Presley
CinematographyMark David
Edited byGabriel Ordonez
Mark David
Brian Presley
Music byJohn Koutselinis
Production
company
Rebel Road Entertainment
Distributed byP12 Films
Release date
  • October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)
Running time
84 minutes [1]
104 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$721,736 USD

The Great Alaskan Race is a 2019 American action adventure drama film written and directed by Brian Presley.

Contents

Synopsis

The film opens in 1917 Alaska with Leonhard Seppala winning the Sweepstakes Race for the third time in a row. However, things change for Leonhard when his wife Kiana dies after giving birth to their daughter Sigrid, leaving everything up to him.

In 1925, in Nome, Alaska a child begins to cough during a ceremony in the village church. This passes without being noticed by Dr. Welch, but when other children start coughing as well, he realizes something is wrong and decides to visit some of them. When he realizes it's diphtheria, he immediately looks for the antitoxin, but in vain. Welch then decides to warn the mayor of the town and so a quarantine is triggered for the town. All the neighboring towns try to send the serum to Nome, but the snowstorm prevents the planes from flying and the frozen sea does not allow the ships to leave. The mayor then calls all the mushers and tells them that in Nenana, the nearest town to Nome, they have the serum but that it will be necessary to create a transfer with which to get the antitoxin. Seppala initially doesn't want to leave, because Sigrid has only him in the world, but then Constance, one of the nurses at the hospital and a very important figure for Sigrid, convinces him to leave. After an extreme effort, the antitoxin finally reaches Nome, but Leonhard has no more strength and is about to die. In a dream, however, he has a vision of Kiana who tells him not to give up and to return to his daughter. Leonhard wakes up in his bed at home, ready to start living his life again and spend it with Sigrid and Constance.

Cast

Historical accuracies between the film and actual events

In the film, Leonhard Seppala's wife and Sigrid's mother is an Inuit native woman named Kiana, whereas in reality, Seppala's wife and Sigrid's mother was really Constance. The film also portrays Constance as the church director of the children's choir, one of the nurses in Nome's small hospital, and Dr. Curtis Welch's daughter, as well as becoming Seppala's second wife and Sigrid's stepmother at the end of the film. Kiana was a fictional character made up in the film.

Just as portrayed in the film, Leonhard Seppala and his friend Gunnar Kasson both worked for the gold-mining company in Nome, as well as the fact that Seppala raised a large kennel of Siberian huskies on the sideline. Also, both the film and real events portray Togo as Leonhard's favorite lead dog.

Balto and Togo are portrayed differently in the film than in real life. In the film, Togo is a gray-and-white Siberian husky and Balto is a large black-and-white Alaskan Malamute. In reality, Togo was a mixture of black, gray, and brown in color, while Balto was a black Siberian husky with a white bib on his chest, a long white sock on his right leg, and a short white sock on his left leg.

In the film, only two children, two Inuit girls named Mary and Akina, died from the diphtheria epidemic before the antitoxin arrived. In reality, a total of seven children died from diphtheria before the epidemic was lifted, including seven-year-old Alaskan Eskimo girl Margaret Eide, three-year-old Billy Barnett, and six-year-old Inuit native girl Bessie Stanley.

Just like in the film, the relay of 20 mushers and their sled dogs did deliver 300,000 units of diphtheria antitoxin to Nome in six days. However, the antitoxin supply was a small amount and could only keep the epidemic at bay until a larger shipment arrived. What the film doesn't mention is that another 1,100,000 units of serum were gathered and shipped to Alaska, where a second relay of dog mushers and their teams picked it up and delivered it to Nome in another six days. The diphtheria epidemic was not immediately averted as is portrayed in the film, but it was finally lifted by February 15, 1925, four weeks after the epidemic had begun.

"Wild Bill" Shannon was the first musher in the first relay to pick up the serum in Nenana, but he did not arrive in Whiskey Creek as the film portrays. He did pass off the life-saving serum to Dan Green in Tolovana after travelling more than 50 miles through a freezing Arctic storm and losing four of his nine sled dogs in the process. Dan Green drove his team of sled dogs from Tolovana to Manley Hot Springs, where he passed the antitoxin off to the third musher in the relay, Johnny Folger. Charlie Evans, the twelfth musher in the relay, received the serum in Bishop Mountain from the previous musher George Nollner and carried it thirty miles down to Nulato, losing his two lead dogs in the process to the bitter cold.

Leonhard Seppala and Gunnar Kasson did not meet the last fifty miles of the journey nor did Seppala pass the serum over to Gunnar. After carrying the life-saving serum more than ninety miles from Shaktoolik and crossing the treacherous Norton Sound, Seppala arrived in Ungalik and passed the antitoxin over to Charlie Olsen, who carried it twenty miles from Ungalik to Bluff. Charlie then passed the medicine over to Gunnar Kasson, who carried it the last fifty-three miles from Bluff to Nome.

In the film, Leonhard Seppala's team of dogs consisted of seven dogs and Gunnar Kasson's team numbered eight dogs. In reality, Seppala's team numbered thirteen Siberian huskies with Togo as the lead dog and a second dog, Fritz, as co-leader alongside Togo. Gunnar's team also numbered thirteen huskies from Seppala's kennel and his lead dogs were Balto and a brown-and-gray husky named Fox.

The film omitted two important events in Gunnar Kasson's and Balto's journey from Bluff to Nome. The first event was that during the start of the journey, Gunnar's sled tipped over against the strong Arctic winds and dumped the serum into a deep drift of snow. Kasson dug through the snow, retrieved the serum, and reattached it to the sled again before continuing on his way. The second event occurred when Gunnar and his dog team arrived in Point Safety, where the serum was supposed to be handed over to the last musher of the relay, Ed Rohn. But Ed Rohn, believing that Gunnar was not going to make it through the blizzard, had fallen asleep and left his dogs unharnessed and locked up in the barn. Gunnar had no choice but to continue on his journey to Nome, where at 5:30 am on February 1, he and his dogs arrived in Nome with the life-saving serum.

Release

The film was released in theaters on October 25, 2019. [3] [4] [5]

Reception

Tara McNamara of Common Sense Media awarded the film two stars out of five. [6] Bobby LePire of Film Threat gave it a five out of ten. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian Husky</span> Dog breed

The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working sled dog breed. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly furred double coat, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings, and is smaller than the similar-looking Alaskan Malamute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nome, Alaska</span> City in Alaska, United States

Nome is a city in the Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough of the US state of Alaska. The city is located on the southern Seward Peninsula coast on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea. It had a population of 3,699 recorded in the 2020 census, up from 3,598 in 2010. Nome was incorporated on April 9, 1901. It was once the most-populous city in Alaska. Nome lies within the region of the Bering Straits Native Corporation, which is headquartered in Nome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race</span> Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, more commonly known as The Iditarod, is an annual long-distance sled dog race held in Alaska in early March. It travels from Anchorage to Nome. Mushers and a team of between 12 and 16 dogs, of which at least 5 must be on the towline at the finish line, cover the distance in 8–15 days or more. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams but evolved into today's highly competitive race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sled dog</span> Working dog

A sled dog is a dog trained and used to pull a land vehicle in harness, most commonly a sled over snow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sled dog racing</span> Sport

Sled dog racing is a winter dog sport most popular in the Arctic regions of the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland and some European countries. It involves the timed competition of teams of sled dogs that pull a sled with the dog driver or musher standing on the runners. The team completing the marked course in the least time is judged the winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Husky</span> Dog type

Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that maintain arctic breed traits represent an ever-changing crossbreed of the fastest dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balto</span> Alaskan husky and sled dog (1919–1933)

Balto was an Alaskan husky and sled dog belonging to musher and breeder Leonhard Seppala. He achieved fame when he led a team of sled dogs driven by Gunnar Kaasen on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. Balto's celebrity status, and that of Kaasen's, resulted in a two-reel motion picture, a statue in Central Park, and a nationwide tour on the vaudeville circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iditarod Trail</span> Long-distance trail

The Iditarod Trail, also known historically as the Seward-to-Nome Trail, is a thousand-plus mile (1,600 km) historic and contemporary trail system in the US state of Alaska. The trail began as a composite of trails established by Alaskan native peoples. Its route crossed several mountain ranges and valleys and passed through numerous historical settlements en route from Seward to Nome. The discovery of gold around Nome brought thousands of people over this route beginning in 1908. Roadhouses for people and dog barns sprang up every 20 or so miles. By 1918 World War I and the lack of 'gold fever' resulted in far less travel. The trail might have been forgotten except for the 1925 diphtheria outbreak in Nome. In one of the final great feats of dog sleds, twenty drivers and teams carried the life-saving serum 674 miles (1,085 km) in 127 hours. Today, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race serves to commemorate the part the trail and its dog sleds played in the development of Alaska, and the route and a series of connecting trails have been designated Iditarod National Historic Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Balto</span> Northern Saami explorer and adventurer

Samuel Johannesen Balto was a Northern Saami explorer and adventurer. Balto skied with Fridtjof Nansen across Greenland in 1888–89.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunnar Kaasen</span> Norwegian-American musher (1882–1960)

Gunnar Kaasen was a Norwegian-born musher who delivered a cylinder containing 300,000 units of diphtheria antitoxin to Nome, Alaska, in 1925, as the last leg of a dog sled relay that saved the U.S. city from an epidemic.

<i>Balto</i> (film) 1995 American film directed by Simon Wells

Balto is a 1995 live-action/animated adventure film directed by Simon Wells, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is loosely based on the true story of the eponymous dog who helped save children infected with diphtheria in the 1925 serum run to Nome. The film stars the voices of Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Phil Collins, and Bob Hoskins. Though primarily an animated film, it uses a live-action framing device that takes place in New York City's Central Park and features Miriam Margolyes as an older version of one of the children. This was the third and final film to be produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio, before the studio's closure in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Togo (dog)</span> Sled dog who ran in the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska

Togo was the lead sled dog of musher Leonhard Seppala and his dog sled team in the 1925 serum run to Nome across central and northern Alaska. Despite covering a far greater distance than any other lead dogs on the run, over some of the most dangerous parts of the trail, his role was left out of contemporary news of the event at the time, in favor of the lead dog for the last leg of the relay, Balto, whom Seppala also owned and had bred.

Dorothy G. Page was best known as "Mother of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", the 1,049-mile dog sled race across the U.S. state of Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1925 serum run to Nome</span> Transport of medication by dog sled relay across Alaska

The 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy and The Serum Run, was a transport of diphtheria antitoxin by dog sled relay across the US territory of Alaska by 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs across 674 miles (1,085 km) in 5+12 days, saving the small town of Nome and the surrounding communities from a developing epidemic of diphtheria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Roth</span> American sculptor (1872–1944)

Frederick George Richard Roth often referred to as F.G.R. Roth, was an American sculptor and animalier, well known for portraying living animals. The statue of the sled dog Balto in New York City's Central Park is perhaps his most famous piece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonhard Seppala</span> Norwegian-American sled dog breeder, trainer, and musher (1877–1967)

Leonhard "Sepp" Seppala was a Norwegian-Kven-American sled dog breeder, trainer and musher who with his dogs played a pivotal role in the 1925 serum run to Nome, and participated in the 1932 Winter Olympics. Seppala introduced the work dogs used by Native Siberians at the time to the American public; the breed came to be known as the Siberian Husky in the English-speaking world. The Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award, which honors excellence in sled dog care, is named in honour of him.

The following events occurred in January 1925:

<i>Togo</i> (film) 2019 film by Ericson Core

Togo is a 2019 American historical adventure film directed by Ericson Core and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film centers on Leonhard Seppala and his titular sled dog in the 1925 serum run to Nome to transport diphtheria antitoxin serum through harsh conditions during an epidemic of diphtheria. The film stars Willem Dafoe, Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Michael Gaston, Michael McElhatton, Jamie McShane, Michael Greyeyes, Thorbjørn Harr, Shaun Benson, and Nikolai Nikolaeff. It was released on Disney+ on December 20, 2019. The movie received generally positive reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Balto</span> Statue in Central Park, Manhattan, New York, U.S.

A bronze statue of Balto by Frederick Roth is installed in Central Park, Manhattan, New York. Balto was an Alaskan husky and sled dog belonging to musher and breeder Leonhard Seppala. He achieved fame when he reportedly led a team of sled dogs on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease.

References

  1. Harvey, Dennis (24 October 2019). "Film Review: 'The Great Alaskan Race'". Variety . Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  2. Scheck, Frank (24 October 2019). "'The Great Alaskan Race': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  3. TV News Desk (25 October 2019). "THE GREAT ALASKAN RACE is In Theaters Now". BroadwayWorld . Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  4. "'Everyone Told Me You Will Never Get This Made': Brian Presley On 'The Great Alaskan Race', Advice From Kurt Russell". KCAL-TV. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  5. Tramel, Jimmie (20 October 2019). "'The Great Alaskan Race:' Jenks' Brian Presley has new movie on way, but still knows way home". Tulsa World . Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  6. McNamara, Tara. "The Great Alaskan Race". Common Sense Media . Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  7. LePire, Bobby (19 October 2019). "The Great Alaskan Race". Film Threat . Retrieved 24 October 2020.