Belles on Their Toes

1952

Comedy / Family

2
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 75% · 2 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 75% · 250 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.5/10 10 1193 1.2K

college sequel single mother

Director

Henry Levin Photo
Henry Levin

Top cast

Robert Adler Photo
Robert Adler as Harper's Chauffeur
Merry Anders Photo
Merry Anders as Student
Verna Felton Photo
Verna Felton as Cousin Leora
Edward Arnold Photo
Edward Arnold as Sam Harper
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
823.28 MB
1280*958
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 29 min
Seeds 2
1.49 GB
1442*1080
English 2.0
NR
23.976 fps
1 hr 29 min
Seeds 6

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by stevehaynie 7 / 10

An interesting follow-up to Cheaper By The Dozen.

I personally thought that Belles on Their Toes held up well as a sequel to Cheaper By The Dozen. Sequels rarely have the same magic of the movies they follow, so it is wise to not make too strong a comparison. Once the characters are accepted on their new terms, Belles on Their Toes is much easier to watch.The entire movie is a flashback sequence to the events that took place after the prior movie ended. The focus is not on the eccentric Mr. Gilbreth and the humorous view of life in a large family. This time it is placed on the characters themselves. Their situations are less of a focus than their personalities. Myrna Loy is allowed to continue as a strong character, and she gets to show much more depth as Ann Gilbreth than she did in the first movie. The same is true for the oldest Gilbreth daughters, too. Jeanne Crain takes center stage for much of the movie. Debra Paget and Barbara Bates tilt the story toward the girls in the family.What makes the biggest difference in the feel of the movie is the presence of Hoagy Carmichael and the talented Debra Paget. With Carmichael in the cast it was obligatory that he perform his music. Debra Paget performed a dance routine that would never have been allowed by the conservative Frank Gilbreth. The feel of the 50's replaced the 1920's charm of Cheaper By The Dozen.Movies are geared toward target audiences. Sequels are created to capitalize on previous successes. Belles on Their Toes is fun to watch, but it cannot be held to the same standard as Cheaper By The Dozen. Accept it on its own and you will have an enjoyable hour and a half while you watch it.
Reviewed by jcholguin 5 / 10

Not As Fun As The First Film But Acceptable

Cheaper by the dozen was the first story involving the Gilbreth family and was headed by Frank Gilbreth, played by Clifton Webb. He died at the end of the first movie as he gave charge of the family to his wife, Lillian Gilbreth played by Myrna Loy. This film probably would have been a little more inspiring if it had centered on the strength of Mrs Gilbreth overcoming the odds of raising a dozen children and a dog during a time when woman were not as accepted in a "man's world of business." But this film was a comedy, so it centered on the teenage daughters and their love lives. Jeannie Crain plays Ann Gilbreth, the only daughter shown getting married but only after finally accepting the idea that children grow and leave home. This was a tightly knitted family and this was how they overcame many difficult times. The ending entails a fine salute to the man that would have loved to have seen his children all grown up as an aged old mother Gilbreth remembers the many memories that will never leave her heart. A job well done by Mrs Gilbreth.
Reviewed by planktonrules 7 / 10

Very nice even without Webb.

This film is a sequel to "Cheaper By the Dozen" (the Clifton Webb version, not the crappy Steve Martin version). As you may remember, the first movie ended with the death of the father (Webb)...so you wouldn't think there'd be a sequel. However, this one picks up soon after. The family is quite poor without Dad's income--and so the family needs to make some adjustments. But, since they are all so gosh-darned nice, they take it all in stride.While the film lacks the charm of Webb, and he was missed, the movie works amazingly well. The slack is taken up by Myrna Loy in the lead and a very strong supporting performance by Jeanne Crain. In fact, there are lots of very good supporting performances by Edward Arnold, Hoagy Carmichael, Martin Milner and Jeffery Hunter. Overall, it's a nice family comedy-drama--in much the same mold as "Life With Father" or "By the Light of the Silvery Moon". I love these family films and they represent a highly idealized but fun piece of Americana you can't help but enjoy.cute how they got rid of the boyfriend (Martin Milner)
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