Once Upon a Time

1957 0h 30m RU

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 7

AnimationFantasyAdventureFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The tale about a magic fish and resentful lover whose fiancee went to a lazy fool.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Serafim Anikeyev
Tsar Gorokh (voice)
Vera Orlova
Princess Marya (voice)
Mariya Babanova
Talking pike (voice)
Vladimir Gulyaev
Emelya (voice)
Georgiy Vitsin
Foreign prince / Deacon (voice)
Lev Potyomkin
General (voice)
Grigoriy Shpigel
Foreign prince's advisor (voice)
Georgi Millyar
Drummer (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ivan Ivanov-Vano
Writers: Nikolay Erdman
Languages: Russian
Countries: Soviet Union

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 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano, shot by Mikhail Druyan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Serafim Anikeyev and Vera Orlova and Mariya Babanova carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1070879 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ivan Ivanov-Vano directs. Mikhail Druyan behind the camera. Yuriy Nikolskiy scores. Aleksandra Firsova cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Soviet Union. Dialogue in Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 30-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
269 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano, shot by Mikhail Druyan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Yuriy Nikolskiy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Aleksandra Firsova shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Serafim Anikeyev and Vera Orlova and Mariya Babanova carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt1070879 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 7 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.