Cheaper by the Dozen is a 1946 book by Frank Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey that tells the story of Time and motion study and efficiency experts Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth, and their twelve children. It has twice been adapted to film. Ernestine Gilbreth Carey (April 4, 1908 – November 4, 2006) was the daughter of Lillian Moller Gilbreth and Frank Bunker Gilbreth, early 20th-century pioneers of time and motion study and what would now be called organizational behavior. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Frank Bunker Gilbreth (July 7, 1868-June 14, 1924), born in Fairfield, Maine, was a proponent of Taylorism and a pioneer of time-motion studies. ... Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878-1972) in 1921 Lillian Moller Gilbreth, BA MA Ph. ...

The title comes from one of Frank Sr.'s favorite jokes: it often happened 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.

In real life, the Gilbreths' second eldest child, Mary, died of diphtheria at age six. The book does not explicitly explain the absence of Mary Gilbreth; it was not until the sequel, Belles on Their Toes, was published in 1952 that her death is mentioned in a footnote. Belles on Their Toes was a 1950 book written by Frank Gilbreth Junior and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. ...

A second book, Belles on Their Toes, published in 1952, outlines the family's adventures after Frank Sr.'s death in 1924. Belles on Their Toes was also made into a movie, starring Jeanne Crain and Myrna Loy, in 1952, and focused on the lives of Mrs. Gilbreth and her children. Belles on Their Toes was a 1950 book written by Frank Gilbreth Junior and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. ... Jeanne Crain Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. ... Myrna Loy (August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American motion picture actress. ...

Film adaptations

Cheaper by the Dozen was made into a 1950 motion picture starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy as Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. Mildred Natwick's character (a visitor to the household) is ridiculed for belonging to a Planned Parenthood-like organization, in a scene based on a real-life event from the book. Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) is an American comedy-drama film. ... Clifton Webb (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966) was an American actor, dancer and singer. ... Myrna Loy (August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American motion picture actress. ... Mildred Natwick (June 19, 1905 – October 25, 1994) was an American stage and film actress. ... This article is about Planned Parenthood Federation of America. ...

In the 1950 movie, as with the book, no mention is made of Mary Gilbreth's death. The role was cast as younger than the Gilbreth's daughter would have been, and the actress playing Mary appeared with the other children for group scenes, but had no lines and the role was uncredited. Additionally, the birth order of the last two children was reversed, presumably for scripting reasons.

A similar movie, Yours, Mine and Ours, is a 1968 film, starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball. In this film, Fonda's character is a Navy warrant officer, while Ball's character is a nurse. After some initial tension, the couple and their eighteen children bond to make one large ball sack blended family. Both Yours, Mine and Ours and Cheaper By The Dozen partly inspired network approval of the television series, The Brady Bunch (the original script for the series pilot was written well before this movie became a reality).^{[citation needed]} Yours, Mine and Ours is a 1968 film, directed by Melville Shavelson, with Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball and Van Johnson. ... Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was a highly acclaimed Academy Award-winning American film and stage actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. ... Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an iconic American comedienne, film, television, stage and radio actress, glamour girl and star of the landmark sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show and Heres Lucy. ... The Brady Bunch is an American television situation comedy, based around a large blended family. ...

Another movie called Cheaper by the Dozen was produced in 2003, starring comedians Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, but bearing no resemblance to the original book except that both feature a family with twelve children. Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2003 American comedy film about a family with twelve children (seven boys and five girls). ... For other uses, see Steve Martin (disambiguation). ... Bonnie Lynn Hunt (born September 22, 1961)[1] is an Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-nominated American actress, comedian, writer, director and television producer. ...

External links

• Cheaper by the Dozen, ISBN 0-06-008460-X
• "Gilbreth Bug-Lights" (1991 article by Frank Jr. about their summer home on Nantucket Island)