Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)
If you’ve seen the Steve Martin remake of Cheaper by the Dozen, you might be tempted to rent the Clifton Webb original from the 1950s. However, you should know it’s vastly different. It still has some very amusing moments, but it doesn’t have the slapstick or silly humor as the modern version. Clifton plays the patriarch of a very large brood; Myrna Loy is his wife. Not only has she had to go through childbirth twelve times (during the 1920s without massive amounts of pain killers available), but she’s had to adhere to his quirky, strict habits and keep the household run efficiently. Back in those days, being a housewife was more than a fulltime job. Clifton is demanding and stubborn, but sometimes his penny-pinching ways really prove to be useful. After all, when you’re providing for the rearing of twelve youngsters, every penny really does count!
As the joke goes, Clifton and Myrna have so many kids because they come “cheaper by the dozen”. Clifton’s very dry sense of humor can sometimes be appreciated by the audience, but his kids often roll their eyes or feel very frustrated by his lack of progress. Namely, the eldest Jeanne Crain is afraid her dad’s overbearing nature will interfere with her love life. There is an unexpected dark turn to this story that’s (wisely) not included in the remake. I won’t tell you what it is, but just don’t expect a light and fluffy movie all the way through. If you want to see Mr. Belvedere with twelve children and running a completely efficient house (really, sometimes he really makes you think you’re doing it all wrong), you can check it out.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Myrna Loy movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 2005's Cheaper by the Dozen here!
As the joke goes, Clifton and Myrna have so many kids because they come “cheaper by the dozen”. Clifton’s very dry sense of humor can sometimes be appreciated by the audience, but his kids often roll their eyes or feel very frustrated by his lack of progress. Namely, the eldest Jeanne Crain is afraid her dad’s overbearing nature will interfere with her love life. There is an unexpected dark turn to this story that’s (wisely) not included in the remake. I won’t tell you what it is, but just don’t expect a light and fluffy movie all the way through. If you want to see Mr. Belvedere with twelve children and running a completely efficient house (really, sometimes he really makes you think you’re doing it all wrong), you can check it out.
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Myrna Loy movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of 2005's Cheaper by the Dozen here!