Based on a true story, this endearing family comedy follows Frank (Clifton Webb) and Lillian (Myrna Loy) Gilbreth and their 12 children as they move from Rhode Island to New Jersey, and focuses on Frank's attempts to keep his large brood in line. Based on a novel written by two of the Gilbreth children, the film illustrates their story through a series of vignettes showing Frank's old-school ways and unconventional parenting methods.