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

Complete credited cast:
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, Jr.
Verna Felton	...	Cousin Leora

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 | working single mother | widow | told in flashback | social dance | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bellezas por casar

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before this film's opening title cards, the last page of the book "Cheaper by the Dozen" is shown, and the book is closed. The book "Belles on Their Toes" is then shown and opened to reveal the title "Twentieth Century-Fox presents Belles on their Toes, the Further Adventures of the Gilbreth Family." Voice-over narration by Myrna Loy, as her character Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth," is heard throughout the picture. At the film's end, a brief sequence from Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) is shown, in which "Frank," played by Clifton Webb, sings "When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose" with his family. Several other novelty and period songs are briefly featured in the picture, such as "Beans, Beans, Beans" and "Love's Old Sweet Song."

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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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Crazy Credits

A young man's hand closes the last page of the Cheaper by the Dozen novel and transitions the book to the cover of Belles on Their Toes in which the credits are printed inside the novel.

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Connections

Follows Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)

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Soundtracks

Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue (Has Anybody Seen My Girl?)
Music by Ray Henderson Lyrics by Sam Lewis and Joe Young
Sung by an off screen vocalist when the Gilbreth children are at the beach

User Reviews

The charms continue in famous "DOZEN" sequel

Myrna Loy (Thin Man series and much more) diligently takes over her loveable brood after Clifton Webb's character dies in this wonderful true story adaptation of the famous Gilbreth story made famous by the first installment called "Cheaper By The Dozen".

Loy's irresistible charm is joined by legendary songster Hoagy Carmicheal (Stardust) as the Gilbreth's comical stillman/houseman, lovely Jeanne Crain (Pinky), veteran Edward Arnold (You Can't Take It With You), dashing Jeffrey Hunter (King of Kings), lovely Debra Paget (The Ten Commandments), likeable Robert Arthur (Hellcats of the Navy) and very young [19 y/o] Martin Milner (Route 66, Adam-12).

Simple story of strong woman's determination to continue in her husband's "male" career as industrial engineer. There is enough going on on all sides to keep you interested in this remarkable family's life in the early part of this century.

How many times have I seen this movie! and still it never goes stale...good clean fun is never out of style.