Belles on Their Toes is a 1952 American family comedy film based on the autobiographical book Belles on Their Toes (1950) by siblings Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The film, which debuted in New York City on May 2, 1952, was directed by Henry Levin, and Henry Ephron and Phoebe Ephron wrote the screenplay. It is a sequel to the film Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), based on Gilbreth and Carey's eponymous 1948 book.
After the death of efficiency expert Frank Gilbreth Sr., his widow Dr. Lillian Gilbreth has to raise their eleven children on her own with very little money. Declining cousin Leora's proposal to disperse the children among various family members, Lillian sends her offspring to Nantucket, accompanied by longtime family cook and handyman Tom Bracken, while she sets out to complete her late husband's lecture tour. Ernestine gets engaged to strapping frat boy Al Lynch. (Later, when Al comes for a visit, the rest of the kids, who do not like him, make it appear the entire family is nutty, so he breaks up with Ernestine. Ernestine is only briefly heartbroken.)
Lillian returns from an unsuccessful tour, and the family returns to Montclair. Anne Gilbreth, the eldest, meets handsome medical doctor Bob Grayson, whom she initially mistakes for a barber. The family works hard to make ends meet.
Sam Harper, of Harper Electric, comes looking for a couple of men trained by Lillian's late husband. Lillian offers to train some specifically for his company, as she and Frank worked as a team, but the chauvinistic Sam is uninterested. However, he changes his mind. Lillian talks him into sending her six students, instead of two. Sam provides four men and persuades two other companies to send a pair each. The school, located in her home, is a success.
Lillian is invited to give a dinner speech at the Engineers' Club of America in New York City, but when she gets there, she is informed there has been a mistake. They did not know L. M. Gilbreth was a woman; women are not allowed inside the club. She leaves a copy of her speech anyway, suggesting they have it delivered by a man. Driving home, she is so furious she accidentally runs into a parked truck and is hospitalized. Anne finds her mother under the care of Dr. Grayson. Initially mortified, she and the doctor eventually get engaged.
When Lillian tells Sam about the Engineers' Club fiasco, he decides to publicize her achievements, but the family are horrified when he makes them the subjects of a funny newsreel. Sam tells them it is all good publicity. Lillian is made a professor at Purdue University.
Meanwhile, Grayson becomes annoyed when Anne is reluctant to leave the family (or even tell her mother about their engagement), as she feels she is needed there. Lillian figures this out and talks Anne out of this odd notion. Anne leaves with Grayson for a position in Detroit.
That same night, Sam tries repeatedly to talk to Lillian about something, presumably his feelings for her, but they are constantly interrupted. Eventually, she lets him know there is no room for anything more in her busy life, and he accepts it. The film ends with the university graduation of her youngest child.
This film is more true to the story than is the first film, Cheaper by the Dozen (1950). Only the 11 living children are featured, and Jane is accurately portrayed as the youngest after Robert. However, the real surname of Anne's future husband was Robert Barney, which is changed to Grayson in the film.
The movie was a key early role for Jeffrey Hunter.