Good concept, poorly executed.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The first must-see film of the year.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Copyright 22 March 1950 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 31 March 1950. U.S. release: April 1950. U.K. release: 26 June 1950. Australian release: 22 December 1950. 7,733 feet. 86 minutes.SYNOPSIS: On a summer day in 1921 Frank Bunker Gilbreth (Clifton Webb), a time and motion expert, imperils traffic in all directions as he pilots his Pierce Arrow down a street in Providence, R.I. Stepping into the hallway of his home, he whistles the "family assembly", and children of all ages quickly converge on him. Home from a trip, he has presents for everyone, for his wife, Lillian (Myrna Loy), who is carrying a baby, Jane. For Ann (Jeanne Crain), his eldest daughter, Ernestine (Barbara Bates), and all the other children. The children are thunderstruck when he breaks the news that they are moving to Montclair, N.J. Mrs Monahan (Sara Allgood), the cook, helps them pack, and a few days later they climb into the Pierce Arrow and head for Montclair. As they are moving into their new house, the mailman comes by. "How do you feed 'em?" he asks. "Oh, they come cheaper by the dozen, you know," Dad answers.NOTES: Number 4 at the domestic box-office for 1950 with a rentals gross close to 4½ million. The movie came in at number 11 in Australia for 1951, but did less well in the U.K. A sequel "Belles On Their Toes" was released in 1952. Although sold as a remake, the 2003 movie is really a different story altogether.COMMENT: A period comedy based on a best-selling book about an eccentric but decidedly fertile and opinionated pater familias. Sound familiar? Fox's attempt to cash in on the success of Warners' "Life With Father" demanded ditto Technicolor — and got it from Fox's ace cameraman Leon Shamroy. Although the book was written by Ernestine (Barbara Bates) and Frank (Norman Ollestad), the movie is narrated by Jeanne Crain's Ann, the spoiled, willful daughter who comes to realize that father knows best after all. Clifton Webb, Myrna Loy, Edgar Buchanan and company do fortunately manage to make their characters likable — so much so in fact that you often have the feeling that moments of bright comedy are just around the corner. Alas, the film never really delivers this. The scriptwriter seems determined to stick to the facts – a recipe that many will argue is highly admirable!Nonetheless, there's really no excuse for Lang's dull-as-usual direction. Lang also cops the blame from me for allowing some of the less attractive youngsters to hog the camera to the exclusion of more promising moppets.For me, the film's most entertaining asset turns out not to be Technicolor nor players nor script, but the wonderful music score. Songs include "When You Wore a Tulip" by Jack Mahoney (lyrics) and Percy Wenrich (music); "Memories" by Richard A. Whiting and Frederick Hollander; and Bob Carleton's "Jada, Jada" to which Clifton Webb and Jeanne Crain dance their famous "Toddle".AVAILABLE on an excellent Fox DVD.

When you see Clifton Webb go to new School of yous children and trying some advises with the professors is hilarious...the old days was almost like it according my grandfather told me,The Couple Webb and Myrna Loy are fantastic portrait of an generation which no longer exist...firstly by the high number of sons,second the way of education.....and finally by the court 's family to decide something leading by the father as judge...the final was a spoiler of this classic family comedy!!!

I have no clue why a remake with Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt was made in 2003. They even say "based on the book by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey" and the characters and story have nothing to do with this book based on the true lives of kinetic engineer Frank B. Gilbreth, psychologist wife Lillian, and their huge happy family with 12 kids.The 1950 film is much much better and true to the book. Frank, assisted by Lillian in many experiments, was a time/motion specialist employed by many industrial companies in the 1920s. This film really isn't about those studies, however. It's a hilarious and touching memoir about the couple's decision to have "an even dozen" children, and is mostly a series of vignettes, if you will, about how it was to grow up under the roof of this spirited, somewhat old fashioned and strict, eccentric and even dare I say it overbearing at times, but always loving and lovable father. Clifton Webb is absolutely perfect as the patriarch of this huge, noisy clan. Myrna Loy is lovely as the mother. I also enjoyed the performance of Jeanne Crain as eldest daughter Anne, who clashes with Dad often about dating, decency and the latest fashions! My favorite stories are the tonsilectomies that didn't get filmed and the visit from the "birth control" lady. Hilarious! I haven't had a chance to see BELLES ON THEIR TOES, but this movie is a real life movie, with moments of heavy sadness and drama along with the comedy. Until they really make a "remake" that's about the real thing, this one is the one to stick with.

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN is based on the true life experiences of a family with a dozen children, although when watching the film you have to suspect that some of these "events" were embellished for the sake of laughs rather than accuracy. And Clifton Webb, in stiff collar and still bossing everyone around, reminds one of Mr. Belevedere with a family.Still, he's the main reason for watching this highly sentimental illusion of what family life was like in America in the early 20th century. The film itself is no more than a series of vignettes, just glimpses of humorous minor events that happened in a family where the father ruled the roost while the mother (MYRNA LOY) took care of the children and her husband, not necessarily in that order.MYRNA LOY and JEANNE CRAIN (as the oldest daughter), don't have much to do and Crain is a bit simpering and coy in a role she was really too old to play. But most of the kids have some good moments and it's all over in a brisk 86 minutes, so no need to squabble about too many dull moments.If you like CLIFTON WEBB as an eccentric and overbearing efficiency expert, you'll get a lot of amusement from this one.