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Belles On their Toes was the sequel to the wonderful Cheaper By the Dozen (1950), released on May 2, 1952 and produced by 20th Century Fox. It's written by Henry & Phoebe Ephron and directed by Henry Levin. Based upon the book of the same name by Ernestine Gilbreth & Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr.

This film picks up shortly after the sad death of Frank Bunker Gilbreth Sr (Clifton Webb) at the end of Cheaper By the Dozen. Lilian Gilbreth (Myrna Loy) struggles to keep both her family together and continue to run the time-motion business that she and her husband created together. There are both financial challenges, as well as dealing with the love lives of her older daughters. Still and all, we see the family that is warm and loving and committed to one another, with some humor and tears along the way for this remarkable true life family.

Like most sequels, this movie isn't the equal of the first one, but it is nonetheless entertaining in its own way. It is pleasing to see Myrna Loy Lilian Gilbreth), Jeanne Crain (Ann Gilbreth), & Barbara Bates (Ernestine Gilbreth) reprise their roles from the first film. Beautiful Debra Paget is introduced in this movie as Martha Gilbreth, a role played by a different & younger actress in the first film. Debra does a marvelous dancing and singing scene in the movie. Although that is taking liberties with the real life story of the Gilbreth family. I would say there are likely some more instances of this film fictionalizing the true events of the family. If you're willing to suspend your disbelief in that regard, Belles On their Toes comes across as a pleasant family friendly movie, and the kind of film that Disney was often associated with producing.

It is interesting to note that while Ernestine Gilbreth was the co-author with her brother Frank of both of the autobiographical books the two films are based upon, the narration in Cheaper By the Dozen is done by actress Jeanne Crain who plays Ann, and not by Barbara Bates who played Ernestine in both movies. That may have been due to Jeanne being the more experienced & better known actress than Barbara was.