The Couch Critic Logo
The Couch CriticCouch Critic
TrendingMoviesTV ShowsListsReviewsWhat to Watch
LogoThe Couch Critic

Menu

TrendingMoviesTV ShowsListsReviewsWhat to Watch

© 2026 The Couch Critic

The Couch Critic Logo

The Couch Critic

Your go-to destination for honest movie and TV show reviews from a passionate community of critics. Join the conversation today.

X

Explore

  • Trending
  • Movies
  • TV Shows
  • Reviews
  • Lists
  • Games
  • About Us

Categories

  • Popular Movies
  • Trending Now
  • Upcoming
  • Airing Today
  • Movie Genres
  • TV Genres

Community

  • Guides
  • What to Watch

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy
  • RSS Feed
© 2026 The Couch Critic.•Built by Hayden Thorn
Cookie Settings
The Movie Database

This application uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.

A Very Old Story
A Very Old Story
  1. Movies
  2. A Very Old Story

A Very Old Story

Original Title: Старая, старая сказка

1968
1h 30m
Family
Fantasy

Status

Released

Release

1968

Runtime

1h 30m

Where to Watch

Available options inUS

Provider type

No streaming options available

We couldn't find any streaming, rent, or buy options for this content in US

Streaming data provided byJustWatch
Updated daily

Storyline

Based on the famous fairytale "The Tinderbox" by Hans Christian Andersen. The main character of the film is a puppeteer who lives in a poor and gray world. He composes a fairy tale in which he himself, in the guise of a brave soldier, finds a flint and is helped by a kind wizard. The soldier falls in love with a spoiled, capricious princess who, as befits a princess, poses riddles to her numerous suitors. Her father, the king, is eager to see the soldier as her husband, as he believes the soldier has a great deal of gold. In the fairy tale, everything ends well, but in real life, not so much. "But life is not a fairy tale," his beloved girl says to him as she bids him farewell.

Score Distribution

Details

Status
Released
Runtime
1h 30m
Dec 31, 1968
Languages
Russian
Director
Nadezhda Kosheverova
Nadezhda Kosheverova
Production
Lenfilm
Lenfilm
Production Countries
Soviet Union

Top Cast

13 Cast Members

Oleg Dal

Oleg Dal

Soldier / Puppet master

Marina Neyolova

Marina Neyolova

Princess / innkeeper's daughter

Vladimir Etush

Vladimir Etush

King / Innkeeper

Georgiy Vitsin

Georgiy Vitsin

good wizard

Vera Titova

Vera Titova

witch / davil's grandmother

Viktor Perevalov

Viktor Perevalov

Prince-chimney sweep

Georgiy Shtil

Georgiy Shtil

Eastern Prince

Anatoly Korolkevich

Anatoly Korolkevich

doorman

Georgi Georgiu

Georgi Georgiu

"thick"

Lev Lemke

Lev Lemke

"thin"

Igor Dmitriev

Igor Dmitriev

Boris Lyoskin

Boris Lyoskin

Anatoli Abramov

Anatoli Abramov

contender for groom

Recommended Movies