The Story of a Crime (Russian: История одного преступления, translit. Istoriya odnogo prestupleniya) is a 1962 Soviet animated Short film directed by Fyodor Khitruk and based on a screenplay by Michael Volpin. It was produced by Soyuzmultfilm. The score is by Andrey Babaev [ru], with sound editing by George Martynuk.

It was the first film by Khitruk, whose role in the history of Russian animation led him to be recognized as a People's Artist of the USSR and a Meritorious Artist, and to receive the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland". The film is a hybrid of Traditional animation and Cutout animation

Plot summary

Noises at night made by rude neighbors cause the very friendly and peaceful Vasily Mamin to commit a crime. The cartoon serves as an explanation as of why such a brutal crime is committed at the beginning. It is a flashback at how Mamin spent his last 24 hours before the crime. The character is having a drastic change in his life, but if we think about on our self, is it wrong?

Voice cast

• Zinovy Gerdt as Narrator

Awards

• 9th International Short Film Festival in Oberkhauzen (Federal Republic of Germany), 1963
• Diploma and The Golden Gates Prize of the 7th International Cinema Festival in San Francisco, 1962