Cheaper by the Dozen (1950 film)
Cheaper by the Dozen is a 1950 American comedy film based upon the autobiographical book Cheaper by the Dozen (1948) by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The film and book describe growing up in a family with twelve children, in Montclair, New Jersey. The title comes from one of Gilbreth's favorite jokes, which played out in the film, that when he and his family were out driving and stopped at a red light, a pedestrian would ask: "Hey, mister! How come you got so many kids?" Gilbreth would pretend to ponder the question carefully, and then, just as the light turned green, would say: "Well, they come cheaper by the dozen, you know", and drive off.
| Cheaper by the Dozen | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Walter Lang |
| Screenplay by | Lamar Trotti |
| Based on | Cheaper by the Dozen 1948 novel by Ernestine Gilbreth Carey Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. |
| Produced by | Lamar Trotti |
| Starring | Clifton Webb Jeanne Crain Myrna Loy Betty Lynn Edgar Buchanan Barbara Bates Mildred Natwick Sara Allgood |
| Narrated by | Jeanne Crain |
| Cinematography | Leon Shamroy |
| Edited by | James Watson Webb Jr. |
| Music by | Cyril J. Mockridge |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | 20th Century Fox |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.7 million |
| Box office | $4.3-4.425 million (U.S. and Canada rentals) |
The story of the Gilbreth family is continued in the book Belles on Their Toes, which was adapted as a film in 1952, with some of the original cast.