Customer Reviews

Cheaper By the Dozen [VHS]

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Unlike the supposed remake put out at the end of 2003, this original movie adaptation of the book actually has heart, is entertaining without resorting to cheap shots or gross-out humour, and is overwhelmingly true to the spirit of the book. It might take awhile for the average modern viewer to get into it, though, since there really isn't much of a plot, not the way we've come to expect in modern movies, just a narration of various adventures the family had. This is by far one of the best and most honest screen adaptations of a book I've yet seen, right up there with 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Fiddler on the Roof.' However, screen adaptations of books being what they have to be due to time and money constraints, they naturally couldn't fit everything in, and so had to cut and paste some events from the book together so they wouldn't completely overlook the important stuff (and unlike many cut and paste jobs in other book-based movies, here it was done very tastefully instead of randomly and carelessly), and they did leave out a number of the funniest stories in the book, like Bill pushing the Chinese cook into the oven and the so-called interviews which ran in the paper, much to the family's horror that a lot of the things they supposedly said and did were made up to embarrass them. They also got the birth order of the last two mixed up; Jane was the last-born child in real life, and Bob was the penultimate. Still, given what passes for entertainment nowadays and how movies based on books usually bear little or no coherent resemblance to the story which the viewers know and love, this is a very clean and fun family movie.

I couldn't belive it when I head that Cheaper By The Dozen was coming to DVD. And Also THe Rare Sequel Belles On THeir Toes. I pre-ordered both of them yesterday.

I have always loved both of the films and they are finally coming out on DVD.

Cheaper By The Dozen Is About The Gilbreth Family who have 12 kids (how unbeliveable) and their adventures. Clifton Webb was excellent as the father. In the sequel Belles On Their toes Clifton Webb is an angel who looks down on his family when they are having all of their problems. Cheaper By The Dozen also stars 2 of the greatest actoresses ever Myrna Loy, and Jeanne Crain. For years these 2 films have been out of print and hard to find. And finally 20th Century Fox is putting them out on DVD. I highly suggest these movies to anyone who wants to get some good clean family entertainment for their kids.

I was one who hounded the powers-that-be that this movie (that pre-dates ME by a good 23 years!) be released on DVD. I was thrilled when I received notice that it was being released and I just received it today (funny since I just happened to catch it on TV two days ago!). It's a timeless classic with a fantastic (and woman-empowering)plot based on a true story. I still can't imagine how they managed with 12 children but it gives me the courage to deal with my two (who sometimes make the mess of 12!). A great story for homeschoolers too- the importance of education could not be more delightfully presented.

I was worried that the quality of the DVD might not be up-to-snuff but it was great (unlike the other classic-movie DVD I just purchased, Life with Father, another favorite movie but the quality is quite poor).

By the way, I haven't seen the Steve Martin adaptation of Cheaper by the dozen but I've heard/ read that the storylines have close to nothing (other than 12 children) in common. Instead, invest in this classic and you'll be very pleased.

If I could give it more stars, I would!!

I really loved this movie and have searched everywhere for a copy of it. The Gilbreth family is full of fun and comedy for all to enjoy. 12 children is quite a handful for most but they seem to handle it with complete control and lots of love. I think Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy were ideal for the parents, the father most of all was the attention getter with all of his ideals and his decisions on how to get the best out of his children. Each child had their duties in the family and all of the movie was put together with laughter, personal situations and well rounded discipline. When Dad went to the prom with his daughter and her date, I was reminded of how my Dad was when I was dating and how mortified I was at the time, but just like her Dad, she was made to feel very proud that he cared so much and was old-fashioned as Fathers should be. It brought back a lot of loving memories for me with my Dad. It had an unexpected ending that was disappointing but then thats life. When are they going to make the sequel "Belles on Their Toes"? It was equally good and I would like to have it also.

I have watched this movie several times a year since I was 8 or 9 years old, and love it just as much now as I did when I first saw it. As movies go this has no major outstanding qualities - but you fall in love with it. It is America; a pleasant though not idealized story of an American family. The characters are pretty realistic and the family is charming. It is a good solid slice of Americana. Don't think of this as just a movie for kids, it is a movie for all ages - we all are part of a family!

Cheaper By The Dozen is a wonderful recreation of American family life during the early days of the twentieth century. Based on the best-selling biography of the same name, the narrative follows the adventures of the Gilbreth family headed up by father and mother Frank and Lillian (Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy), pioneers in the field of industrial engineering. Between the two of them, they raised 12 children, including oldest daugher, Ann, (Jeanne Crain) who narrates the story. Cheaper is Great entertainment for the whole family. This "fictionalized" real story is a lot of fun, in the same way Life With Father is. Webb has one of the best roles of his career as the exacting efficiency expert. Myrna Loy glows with maternal warmth, and Jeanne Crain is lovely as always, struggling to grow up under the iron-fisted rule of a father born in the nineteenth century. My only complaint with the DVD is the color is uneven in places, which is unfortunate. This was a big budget production in its day and a lot of the wonderful Technicolor photography has been reduced to pinks and faded greens and blues. Overall, however, viewing this DVD is a pleasant experience.

I have seen this movie many times. It is a good wholesome movie of the way a family used to be in the early years. It has humor. I like the way the father handles the situations that come up in this movie. I highly recommend it.

This is by far better than the remake. A definite must see. For a collector it is a must have. I really enjoyed all the problems that cropped up and were solved ingeniously.

"Cheaper by the Dozen" is a tasteful and nostalgic classic film about the famous Gilbreath Family of industrial engineers who pioneered the field of time management. The setting is 1910-1920, when society and music were both more civil and tasteful. Just as in its equally classic cousin, "Life With Father," timeless tunes like "When You Wore A Tullip And I Wore A Big Red Rose," "Sweet Genevieve" and "Just A Song At Twilight" are highlighted. But most enjoyable is the acting of two Hollywood legends: the elegant and classy Myrna Loy and the vitriolic, pompous but loveable Clifton Webb. As the patriarch of the Gilbreath clan, Webb is his incomparably witty, acerbic self. Film fans should note that Hollywood tried to lure Webb back to Hollywood in the early talkie period (he had done some silents in the 1910s and 1920s) but he chose to remain the toast of the New York stage where he was America's greatest ballroom dancer twenty years before anyone ever heard of Fred Astaire. Webb returned to Hollywood in the early 1940s with his Academy Award nominated role of Waldo Lydecker in the classic "Laura." Webb was nominated again in his very next film for his superb portrayal of Elliot Templeton in "The Razor's Edge." His third talkie earned him a third consecutive Academy Award nomination-this time for Best Actor---in the hillarious comedy "Sitting Pretty," which introduced Webb's timeless Mr. Belvadere character. Webb was an American treasure of stage, ballroom, and screen. Among other things, Webb made ballroom dancing (along with his equally talented partner, Bonnie Glass)the rage of the World War I era, was a operatic prodigy, introduced the white dinner jacket, and introduced classic Tin Pan Alley tunes like "I'll Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan" twenty years before Sinatra sang them. "Cheaper By The Dozen" serves as a great work of family entertainment that also illuminates an appreciable fraction of Webb's extraordinary talents. A great film!

This movie is an absolute delight all around, content and production quality included! Pro-lifers will especially LOVE it! There's a very funny moment concerning that issue. Also, be sure to watch the "Special Awards" extra featured on the DVD menu. Fascinating to learn that this movie was attended by more people in 1950 than any other movie, according to Ernestine Gilbreth.
The cry from most today is just as strong as it was then - "We want wholesome family movies that are intelligently made." It takes a lot of EFFORT, a lot of THINKING to produce those. But, if Hollywood makes them, we will spend our money to see them, and also add them to our personal libraries. Wholesome movies are a good investment in the health of our society. Love those Gilbreth's!