MY THREE SONS (TV SERIES) - DVD review

A year after he played the father in Disney's original live-action movie "The Shaggy Dog" and a year before he'd discover flubber as "The Absent-Minded Professor," veteran actor Fred MacMurray joined the ranks of wise-but-longsuffering TV fathers. And that first 1960 season led to 11 more for "My Three Sons," which was distinctive among family sitcoms because of its all-male cast.

Its second season "My Three Sons" finished 11th in the Nielsens--the highest the show would rank over its long run. That year it was the fourth most popular sitcom in America--behind "Hazel," "The Andy Griffith Show," and "The Danny Thomas Show." Ironically, though, the second season had more episodes than the first that I'd have to rank below a 7 (out of 10), and not nearly as many stellar ones. But comedy or originality didn't seem to be as important to the viewing audience as the familiar situations, and America loved the Douglas family. Watching them was like watching a Norman Rockwell tableau in action. It was like watching the Nelsons--pure Americana, pure American family--and so it's probably no coincidence that the longest running live-action sitcom was "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," while right behind them with 380 episodes was "My Three Sons."

Season Two Vol. 1 features the first 18 episodes, more than half of which I'd have to rank between a 6 and 7. But while they're familiar and not all that brilliantly written, each episode oozes with charm and early sixties' naiveté. It was a simpler time, and maybe that's why, even though the episodes are in black and white, kids today still respond to the show. They like seeing "how it was back then"--the dynamic between parents and children, and the ways in which children related to teachers and each other.

For 1961 audiences, "My Three Sons" had to feel like a comfortable pair of shoes. They already knew MacMurray from those two Disney live-action hits, and the Douglas's dog, Tramp, was a big old shaggy dog. And speaking of "The Shaggy Dog," one of the Douglas boys was none other than Disney regular Tim Considine, who appeared on "The Shaggy Dog" with MacMurray. And the man who played widower Steve Douglas's father-in-law and chief cook and bottle-washer for this brood was none other than William Frawley, who delighted audiences as Fred Mertz in "I Love Lucy." Rounding out the cast was a former Mousketeer (Don Grady) and a veteran of "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" (Stanley Livingston).

There's nothing hammy about the performances, and nothing is played too silly. It's all about trying to find the humor in everyday family life in the early '60s, when the nation was enjoying the optimism of the Camelot years and the average family was still living with '50s values. Curiously, the show still holds up as family viewing, despite the black and white and the relatively tame, domestic plots.

Here's the liner-note description of the 18 episodes contained on three single-sided discs and housed in a standard-size keep case with a plastic "page" to hold non-overlapping discs:

1) "Birds and Bees." When tramp becomes the father of six puppies, Steve decides it's time to tell Chip (Livingston) the facts of life.

2) "Instant Hate." The Douglas family's good neighbor policy comes under attack when Steve, Bub, and the boys tangle with the new family across the street. [One of the funniest episodes.]

3) "The Crush." When Mike (Considine) brings his new girlfriend home to meet the family, he misunderstands her attraction to Steve.

4) "Tramp--The Hero." Inspired by a friend's well-trained German shepherd, the boys make a valiant attempt to teach Tramp new tricks.

5) "A Perfect Memory." Steve tries to track down the old high school sweetheart who called for him while he was out.

6) "Bub's Lodge." Bub looks forward to his lodge ceremony, where he's to be installed as D'Artagnan of the East Door. Doodles Weaver guest stars.

7) "A Lesson in Any Language." While their rooms are being painted, Steve and Bub sleep in Mike's, unaware he's using a pre-programmed record player to learn Spanish while he sleeps.

8) "The Ugly Duckling." Concerned he's going to fail world literature, Robbie (Grady) gets a new study partner--who's as beautiful as she is dumb.

9) "Chip's Composition." When Chip's assigned to write a composition entitled "What My Mother Means to Me," he uses Bub as his model.

10) "Mike in Charge." Mike takes charge of the household after Steve and Bub are called out of town.

11) "Bub Goes to School." Tired of being asked questions he can't answer, Bub enrolls in night school where he passes himself off as an ex-show business producer.

12) "Robbie's Band." Steve picks up his sax and joins Robbie's band to help them land a gig at Mike's fraternity dance. [And it's really MacMurray playing.]

13) "Damon and Pythias." Robbie hopes to escape Mike's shadow by becoming a member of the Chieftains, the one school club his brother never joined.

14) "Chip Leaves Home." Convinced his family is ignoring him, Chip decides to run away to India.

15) "Romance of Silver Pines." While taking a one-week vacation from his family, Steve falls in with a couple that seems to be playing matchmaker. Oscar-winner Ed Begley, Irene Ryan ("The Beverly Hillbillies") and Jan Clayton ("Lassie") guest star. [One of the best episodes on this DVD.]

16) "Blind Date." A series of mix-ups leads to Mike and Robbie winding up with each other's blind dates.

17) "Second Time Around." An old girlfriend tries to rekindle Steve's interest, but ends up attracting Bub instead.

18) "The Girls Next Door." Steve is driven to distraction when four attractive airline hostesses move into the vacant house next door.

Video:
For a black-and-white show from 1960-61, "My Three Sons" looks very good. There are no flickers of dirt and only a few visible imperfections in the original stock that weren't cleaned up by the digital remastering. Contrast levels are good, and there's not s much grain as you'd expect. The show is presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Audio:
None of the shows from this era have impressive sound, because the original elements were Mono. But the Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono is still clean-sounding and free of distortion. But don't expect much distribution across the speakers. Everything is front and center.

Extras:
After two releases with zero bonus features, fans will be glad to at least get some time-capsule sponsor spots, which are always fun to see.

Bottom Line:
"My Three Sons" was a slice of Americana then, and it remains so today. It holds up pretty well as wholesome entertainment that families can still enjoy--even the kids. It's kind of fascinating to see how life was lived back in 1960, and this show is a bona fide time capsule. It will especially appeal to fans of classic TV.