Podcast Episode Details

Within days Kaasen got an offer from a Hollywood film producer to appear in a movie with his dog team.  Kaasen and Balto were soon standing on the steps of Los angeles’ city Hall with the mayor and Mary Pickford.  Although Leonard Sepalla was annoyed by the attention Kaasen was getting, he did give his employee permission to take the dogs, who he considered inferior anyway, and make the film.  In conjunction with the movie deal, a vaudeville style tour was developed and suddenly Gunnar Kaasen was a full blown American celebrity.

An indication of the level of Balto’s profile came when it was announced by the city of NY that a statue to honor all of the participants in the serum drive would be placed in Central Park, a statue of Balto deposited on top of its base.  On December 15, 1925 both Balto and Kaasen were present when the statue was dedicated, a monument that remains very popular even today.

Kaasen and his wife soon grew tired of the vaudeville life and the frequent squabbles with Hollywood producers and the tour operator over money.  As their celebrity faded they decided to head back home to Alaska, at this point the tour operator having somehow gained ownership of the dog team and sled.  How this process unfolded remains unclear but the animals were transported back to Los Angeles where proprietor of a typi

Published on 3 years, 10 months ago