This film is part of Free
Dogs for the Antarctic
Ernest Shackleton's sledge-dogs pause to promote 'Spratt's Dog Cakes', en route to the South Pole.
Overview
As war was brewing in Europe, polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton embarked on his second voyage to Antarctica, taking with him a pack of mongrel Canadian sledge dogs -- stars of this Topical Budget newsreel item. En route to their polar adventure, the dogs pose for a poochy portrait at Spratt's Dog Sanatorium, in Beddington, near Croydon, where they enthusiastically promote Spratt's Dog Cakes.
This wily piece of product placement was apparently the result of a trade-off between Shackleton and Spratt: free supplies of dog biscuits in exchange for endorsement (the explorer struck a similar deal with Bovril). The film's cheery, slightly frivolous tone is typical of Topical Budget's light-hearted approach to current events. No mention is made of the impending risk to the welfare of the animals - none of which made it home from the expedition.
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