by Wyatt Newman
It was nearly an all-male show of three generations. I'll
say "nearly" because somewhat later in the series of "My Three
Sons," Fred MacMurray, who played the father of
the sons, got re-married. Most likely the series needed a new twist or possibly
it was just to add a female interest. Personally, I enjoyed it better when it
was the father who raised three sons with the help of the grandpa, played by
the character actor, William Frawley. You know him,
more famous for playing Lucy and Desi's neighbor,
Fred Merst. Frawley always
played the grouchy type, even when he was the political advisor to the judge in
"Miracle on
Someone had to take care of the three boys while Fred (whose character name I don't recall), worked at the aircraft plant. Frawley must have died, but for whatever reason, he was replaced by William Demarest, who did a credible job but not quite as grumpy. It seems to me, if memory will serve me on this one, that he came into the show as Uncle Charlie, who had spent his life as a seaman until he took over to supervise the boys.
Tim Considine played the oldest son, who during the series was our age. Robbie and Chip were the character names of the younger two, not as famous as Considine. Considine appeared later in the 1971 movie, "Patton" as the soldier slapped by Patton. He also was previously more identifiable as Spin, in the Mickey Mouse Club series, "Spin and Marty."
Another younger kid was written into the part to apparently replace Considine, who outgrew his role, a kid with horned rim glasses. Even though the new kid was the youngest, at least it left three boys in the family to keep with the series title. That was also about the time Fred married a woman, Barbara, so the family became more traditional with a mother figure.
The show had a very catchy opening theme song and an animated graphic of three pairs of boyish tapping feet. Quite well done, I thought. Made the show inviting and left no doubt what the show was about.
My Three Sons was on with other shows about boys at the same time--"Leave it to Beaver" and "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." For whatever reasons, shows of boys, along with Westerns, were popular in the fifties and early sixties. They were male-oriented. So what did the girls and women have to enjoy? Beats me. Maybe, at least those our age or mothers of boys, enjoyed watching Ricky, Tim and Tony.
-Wyatt Newman