Belles on Their Toes (1952)

The "Cheaper by the Dozen" crew is back, sans Clifton Webb. Lillian is struggling to make ends meet without her husband's income, while Anne, Martha, and even Ernestine find romance.

Director:

Henry Levin

Writers:

Phoebe Ephron (screenplay), Henry Ephron (screenplay),

Stars:

Jeanne Crain, Myrna Loy, Debra Paget

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeanne Crain	...	Ann Gilbreth
Myrna Loy	...	Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth
Debra Paget	...	Martha Gilbreth
Jeffrey Hunter	...	Dr. Bob Grayson
Edward Arnold	...	Sam Harper
Hoagy Carmichael	...	Thomas George Bracken
Barbara Bates	...	Ernestine Gilbreth
Robert Arthur	...	Frank Gilbreth
Verna Felton	...	Cousin Leora
Carol Nugent	...	Lily Gilbreth
Tina Thompson	...	Jane Gilbreth - as a Child
Teddy Driver	...	Jack Gilbreth
Tommy Ivo	...	William Gilbreth
Jimmy Hunt	...	Fred Gilbreth
Anthony Sydes	...	Dan Gilbreth

Storyline

The "Cheaper by the Dozen" crew is back, sans Clifton Webb. Lillian is struggling to make ends meet without her husband's income, while Anne, Martha, and even Ernestine find romance.

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Plot Keywords:

female engineer | graduation | montclair new jersey | 1920s | single mother | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Im Dutzend heiratsfähig

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Sam Harper: [hearing muffled explosion] What on earth was that?
Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth: The childern have a chemistry set in the cellar.
Sam Harper: Smells like alcohol.
Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth: Mr. Harper, alcohol is a chemical.

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Connections

References 7th Heaven (1927)

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Soundtracks

"Don't Bring Lulu"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Billy Rose
Played when the car drives by announcing the dance

User Reviews

Sequel lacks the spark and wit of Clifton Webb...

BELLES ON THEIR TOES is another nostalgic look at a past that never was. At least that's the impression you get from watching MYRNA LOY worry about her brood of Gilbreth children after father Clifton Webb has passed on. As usual, Loy is likable enough as the strong-willed mother who has to guide her children through what passes for "hard times" but has the look of the '50s rather than the '20s.

This lack of detail makes the film much less enjoyable than CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN. There's also a lack of freshness about the performances of JEANNE CRAIN as the oldest daughter, BARBARA BATES, JEFFREY HUNTER, MARTIN MILNER and ROBERT ARTHUR. It all seems rather pat, standard stuff that passed for wholesomeness in the '50s, before the grim realism of the '60s films set in.

Mother is seen at the graduation ceremony of her girls, which makes room for a flashback to their turbulent "growing up" years that includes the girls being romanced by whatever Fox star hopefuls the casting agent could find. Of the men, JEFFREY HUNTER stands out as the most likely prospect for stardom and is paired nicely with JEANNE CRAIN.

Nostalgia is nice, but the charm wears thin when the film offers nothing new in the way of plot twists and you have to settle for more of the same material offered in the original--without Webb, who gave that film its chief distinction.