139 replies to this topic

[BX60]

I just bought the first season DVD set of "My Three Sons". I was seven years old when it premiered in 1960, and I watched it throughout it's entire 12 seasons. I REALLY like the original black and white episodes best William Frawley was great as "Bub". I do not know why this great sitcom is not broadcast more regularly.

[Willowsmom]

I think in some ways this show just doesn't hold up that well. Especially the later years when Steve remarries.

[Homily]

I can remember watching this show in first run but only when Robbie was the oldest son, Mike was never mentioned, they had adopted Ernie and moved to California and William Demarest was Uncle Charlie. I loved the show! I didn't realise until years later that there had ever been a Mike or a Bub.

Totally agree the show slipped when Steve got married but really by then it was long past it's best. Robbie getting married and having triplet sons (was that a possible spin off in the making?) was bad enough but when they had Chip get married at such a young age it really spoiled the show for me. That just didn't make sense.

I always loved Ernie though :).

And yes agreed, I wish this was on in re-runs somewhere! I may have to start buying the DVDs.

[RCTina]

They show reruns weekday mornings on the ME (Memory Entertainment) channel. That's one of those nostalgic networks that shows programs from the 1950's to the 1980's. They start with the "Ernie is adopted" storyline and finish right before Chip meets Polly. Incidentally, Stanley Livingston was married with a kid a couple of years before that so he was a young husband in real life too.

[vb68]

Robbie getting married and having triplet sons (was that a possible spin off in the making?)

I remember having a big tv crush on the actress who played his wife (Tina Cole?).

[GreekGeek]

I have fond childhood memories of this show, though I only saw one "Bub" episode decades later in reruns. (RIP, William Frawley.)

It's great fun seeing Fred MacMurray in other roles, especially those where he plays a baddie: Double Indemnity, The Caine Mutiny, The Apartmment. William Demarest was a terrific character actor. Catch him in The Lady Eve, where he plays a valet to Henry Fonda's rich herpetologist. And check out Barry Livingston (Ernie) in Season One of Mad Men, where he's one of Sal's staff.

[QueenofCups]

I saw this in syndication years and years ago - the Ernie/Uncle Charlie years mainly. I hated when Dodie (horrible name) was introduced. My tolerance for adorable t.v. moppets has never been very high, not even when I was a moppet myself.

Ernie was always my favourite son. Here's a clip of Barry Livingston (the actor who played Ernie) on Mad Men. He's the guy in white shirt, suspenders and glasses doing the cha cha.

ETA: Ernie was kind of a proto-geek character. He laid the groundwork for Urkel and Sheldon and everyone else.

Edited by QueenofCups, Jan 15, 2012 @ 2:07 PM.

[bumblehare74]

Ernie cracks me up, he has that squeaky voice that has to be really embarrassing for him.

That waiting room scene where they were all waiting for Katie to give birth was quite humorous as well. Those guys were a bunch of nervous nellies, a bit over the top, but still pretty funny.

[BX60]

I just read "The Importance Of Being Ernie", an autobiography of Barry Livingston. It was very enjoyable. He gave a lot of information about the cast and crew. I especially enjoyed his remberances of William Frawley. He was a VERY colorful character. There was a lot of animosity when Frawley's role was given to William Demarest. It seems they had been "enemies" for years He also told a fun story about what a tightwad Fred MacMurray was.

Edited by BX60, Jan 15, 2012 @ 9:44 PM.

[legaleagle44]

It's great fun seeing Fred MacMurray in other roles, especially those where he plays a baddie: Double Indemnity, The Caine Mutiny, The Apartment.

Yes, it's always been fascinating to me to remember that the same guy who played the somewhat befuddled Steve here, as well as the original Absent-Minded Professor actually specialized in playing villains, thugs, and assorted other bad guys for much of his early film career.

[whee whee piggy]

Yes, it's always been fascinating to me to remember that the same guy who played the somewhat befuddled Steve here, as well as the original Absent-Minded Professor actually specialized in playing villains, thugs, and assorted other bad guys for much of his early film career.

As part of FM's obituary, I read the funniest thing, how the critic had a theory that his old movie persona had actually rubbed out Mike and Bub for some nefarious purpose and even Ernie's parents to replace his 3rd son.

Aside from the vile Dodie--she went on to play annoying teenagers after being annoying moppets--I actually like the storyline with Steve remarrying. Barbara Garland rocks! (And she played some hard women in old movies too.) But all the 'boys' marrying got the show away from its premise; men making their way in the world alone.

I was always fascinated by the Livingstons playing adoptive brothers and they could do it since they don't look alike to me at all.

[Inquisitionist]

He also told a fun story about what a tightwad Fred MacMurray was.

Does he talk about the filming schedule? According to IMDb:

At his insistence, all episodes of "My Three Sons" (1960) were filmed out of sequence during the show's entire run. He would do all of his scenes first, then leave until the next season. All kitchen scenes would be done together, then all scenes in the upstairs hallway would be filmed together, etc. This fact was well concealed until Dawn Lyn joined the cast as Dodie. Her upper front teeth grew in irregularly during the entire 1969-'70 season, from being barely visible in scenes with MacMurray to being plainly visible in scenes without him.

I do remember what a big deal it was when they announced that Steve would meet and marry a widow and the anticipation over who would be cast in the role. I was young and had never heard of Beverly Garland. It was a stitch years later to see she was featured in so many films shown on MST3000.

[BX60]

The book did tell about the problems shooting around Fred MacMurray's schedule. He said the kids would get a growth spurt, and the clothes that fit when they filmed one segment of a show with Fred would be too small months later when they filmed the rest of the epidode sans Fred MacMurray.

[Runningwild]

I watched the show in syndication when I was a child (the Ernie/Uncle Charley years) and then later caught the Mike/Bub years on Nick At Nite. I prefer the Mike/Bub years.

[HyeChaps]

Mike Douglas, Wally Cleaver and David Nelson were my first tv boyfriends, all older men. I couldn't wait until I would become a teenager and meet such guys.

[BX60]

On one of the first season shows, Mike was being wooed by a fraternity. It must have been the same one David and Ricky Nelson belonged to, because Rick's best friend Wally Plumstead (actor Skip Young) was one of the guys getting Mike interested.

[Luciaphile]

Yes, it's always been fascinating to me to remember that the same guy who played the somewhat befuddled Steve here, as well as the original Absent-Minded Professor actually specialized in playing villains, thugs, and assorted other bad guys for much of his early film career.

He gave some very good performances in screwball comedies well before his turns in films like the Apartment and Double Indemnity.

[Angeltoes]

I was surprised at how old he was. Some of the obits didn't even mention his sister that was on Eight is Enough.

[Runningwild]

RIP Robbie. He was always my favorite.

[TudorQueen]

He was my favorite, too. I didn't know he'd had such a successful second career as a musician/composer. Good for him!

[prairiegal]

Damm. Another one of my childhood TV friends gone. He certainly was a cutie with that cleft in his chin and his big blue eyes.
Farewell, Don. Say hello to Fred McMurray for me.

[indianhoop]

Robbie was 68??? Dear God...a little before my time, though I do remember the last couple of seasons when Robbie gets married, Dodie (who I just found out is Leif Garrett's sister) vaguely etc. He seemed like a really good guy which I'm sure he was...RIP Don.

[BooksRule]

I would love to see some of those old episodes. I think the last time I saw any was on TVLand when they were having some type of 'theme' weekend/week (since I don't think they usually aired this show). I'm pretty sure that's when I saw a couple. I still remember the theme song in my head (anyone remember the brief skit on the old show 'Kids in the hall', where Rich Hall went into the men's room and saw those feet under the stall that were arranged 'My 3 sons' style? Then the theme music begin playing and the feet begin to move like in the credits. Hilarious!)

I spotted what I think was a goof on one the episodes I saw a few years ago. I wish I could remember which one it was, but maybe someone who has access to the available DVDs can spot it. There was a scene that was taking place in the kitchen and someone then walked in/out of the door where you could see into to the area where you can see the stairs on the left (I think) and the built-in low bookcase on the right (it kind of made a divider from that area to the living room). You can see some type of big piece of equipment on the bookcase counter. It looks like a big black amplifier or maybe a studio light turned around. It really stood out. Later, when they show the living room, the bookcase top is clear. I just assumed that no one noticed that that area would be in view when the door was opened, since they were actually shooting a scene in the kitchen. I've always wanted to see that episode again, too look for it--it really stood out to me.

[Inquisitionist]

With all the focus on Nora Ephron and the Supreme Court the past few days, I totally missed this news. I also had a crush on Robbie Douglas, but it's nice to read that Don found success with his true passion -- music -- after My Three Sons, as well as a long and happy marriage.

From the NY Times obituary:

“I was summoned to a hastily held audition at noon, and by 3 p.m. I was cast as the new Robbie. My acting abilities probably helped, but I still believe the reason I got the part was because the cleft in my chin looked like Fred’s.”

[Runningwild]

I would love to see some of those old episodes. I think the last time I saw any was on TVLand when they were having some type of 'theme' weekend/week (since I don't think they usually aired this show). I'm pretty sure that's when I saw a couple.

I think it was on the TVLand schedule for awhile. I would say summer of '87 was when I started watching it on TVLand. M3S, Donna Reed, Make Room For Daddy- I loved TVLand!

[Actionmage]

I just saw a sweet ad remembering Don Grady on MeTV. There will be a marathon of some MTS episodes on Sunday. I believe the 2PM start was Eastern.

eta: Yes, 2PM Eastern, 1PM Central, according to their site. (http://metvnetwork.com/)

Edited by Actionmage, Jun 29, 2012 @ 4:41 PM.

[bigdave5472]

http://forums.televi...post&p=15067361

Yes, the Don Grady memorial telethon is on MeTV as I write this. I just watched the very funny episode where Robbie's girlfriend talks him into taking ballet to improve his performance in track and field. Robbie is embarrassed to come out into the room with the girls, wearing his ballet tights which show off his assets, but when he is jumping hurdles in his gym shorts, it is obvious that he does not wear a jock strap. Not that there is anything wrong with that, as the male body is nothing to be embarrassed about.

The next episode was the one where Robbie is a freshman in college, and is juggling two steady girlfriends who find out about each other. Very funny! The episode on now is the one where they move to California, and don't even stop in Arizona to visit with Mike and Sally. The very early episodes where Grandpa Bub was pitching in to keep the family going were the best, but it was still funny with Uncle Charley, and even after Mike left, and Ernie was adopted. But once they left Bryant Park for California, it just wasn't funny anymore. It's all chick-flick romance from now on. And suddenly men who were intelligent enough to get along fine for many years become too stupid to get to the church for a wedding.

Edited by bigdave5472, Jul 1, 2012 @ 3:09 PM.

[oceanblue]

I grew up with the California episodes so I love Uncle Charley and the Katie episodes. RIP Don Grady!