"My Three Sons" Cast Reunites, Reminisces - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 11-07-2009, 01:43 AM

Stars of the 1967 Sitcom Share Memories of Life on the Set, the Iconic Cast and Redefining American Family

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(CBS) In 1967, as America was in the midst of a cultural revolution, one long running television hit was redefining what the American family could be. In "The Early Show"'s "Time Machine" series, we took a look back at the television series "My Three Sons."

Movie star Fred MacMurray was the star of the sitcom, stunning the film industry when he made the jump from the big screen to the small one.

MacMurray played Steven Douglas, a widower raising his three boys with the help of Grandpa Bub and Uncle Charley. As one of the first single fathers on TV, MacMurray helped change the face of the American family.

In the mid-1960s "My Three Sons" moved from ABC to CBS, embracing the technology of the day, going from black-and-white to color.

After a 13-year run, to this day, "My Three Sons" is the second longest-running live-action family sitcom in history.

The stars of the history-making show reunited Friday on "The Early Show", including brothers Stan Livingston (Chip Douglas) and Barry Livingston (Ernie Douglas), Tina Cole (Katie Miller Douglas), and Don Grady (Robbie Douglas).

Stan said work on the trailblazing show felt like living in another world.

"It was sort of segregated from what was happening in the real world," he said. "I think it was simpler."

Barry Livingston added, "The real world was quite tumultuous and revolution was in the air, and we were still eating Uncle Charley's cookies and having milk."

But what was it like on the set of "My Three Sons"?

Stan said it was a huge deal for MacMurray to make the switch to television.

He said, "When the younger generation looks at the show, they don't realize it would be like if Mel Gibson or Michael Douglas decided to do a TV show."

But who was crankier on set -- William Demarest, who played Uncle Charley, or William Frawley, who played Grandpa Bub?

Don Grady said it was Demarest.

"Frawley was a kick," he said. "Frawley was just so much fun."

Stan said there wasn't the scandal, as seen on other shows.

He said, "There was not a lot of drama, and Fred MacMurray set the tone for that. He was a pretty conservative, straight-arrow guy."

Grady said that conservatism extended to other scenes on the show, including the single beds for the married couple, Katie and Robbie.

"This was in '67,'68, something like that," he said. "Twin beds?"

"You know the roof was coming off the '60s at the time. John and Yoko were having sleep-ins, and so we should have a big bed with Robbie and Chip and Ernie and -- everybody," Grady joked.

Tina Cole, who played Katie, said after cast members weighed in on the bed, the show opted for a king-sized bed instead.

"It was a huge bed," Cole said.

However, Barry Livingston said, the couple couldn't be like a normal American real-life couple actually getting into bed.

Cole said the married characters couldn't even face each other by scene's end.

"We could talk, but we had to end by turning away," she said.

But, in one episode, Cole said, Frederick De Cordova, the show's director, found a way to end the scene with Katie and Robbie in a real embrace.

Stan joked, "That's how (the couple's) triplets came about."

gidgetgrape · 11-07-2009, 01:46 AM

Thanks for posting this Zoneboy!

catlover79 · 11-07-2009, 01:57 AM

Great article!! Thank you for posting it, Charles. I always wondered what Tina Cole looked like nowadays.

Marvo301 · 11-07-2009, 02:32 AM

I can't beleive Tina Cole still has the same hairstyle! And who knew all it took was an embrace to conceive triplets! Whata fun reunion.

catlover79 · 11-07-2009, 02:37 AM

The entire cast looks great - ESPECIALLY Don Grady. Why are Clooney and Pitt getting all the attention? He's WAY better-looking than them.

Marvo301 · 11-07-2009, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

The entire cast looks great - ESPECIALLY Don Grady. Why are Clooney and Pitt getting all the attention? He's WAY better-looking than them.

Don is obviously more humble (and down to earth) than those other guys.

catlover79 · 11-07-2009, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

Don is obviously more humble (and down to earth) than those other guys.

Exactly!!! I once wrote him an email sending him my condolences about the loss of his sister Lani (from Eight is Enough). I can relate, since I'm struggling with some of the same issues that she did. He wrote me a VERY kind note. For that, he will always have my respect.

Marvo301 · 11-07-2009, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Exactly!!! I once wrote him an email sending him my condolences about the loss of his sister Lani (from Eight is Enough). I can relate, since I'm struggling with some of the same issues that she did. He wrote me a VERY kind note. For that, he will always have my respect.

To this day I can't listen to the Eight is Enough theme song without getting emotional about Lani. Eight is Enough but only seven are left. Any way that's really neat that Don Grady answered your e-mail with a really nice note.

biffbronson · 11-07-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

I can't beleive Tina Cole still has the same hairstyle!

Tina did wear her hair longer after the series ended, as seen when she appeared on "The Rookies" around 1973.

They're all really nice people who care about their fans. I've emailed Stan Livingston and he sent back a nice reply.

catlover79 · 11-07-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biffbronson

Tina did wear her hair longer after the series ended, as seen when she appeared on "The Rookies" around 1973.

They're all really nice people who care about their fans. I've emailed Stan Livingston and he sent back a nice reply.

Too bad more classic sitcom stars (*coughDavidCassidyLorettaSwitcough*) can't be more like the MTS cast. They all seem so nice!!

MickeyMac · 11-07-2009, 04:32 PM

This was nice to see all of these guys, and Tina Cole looks great for her age. One thing, its obvious the interviewers have a limited knowledge of this show. I could have done a better job interviewing these folks.

catlover79 · 11-07-2009, 04:39 PM

I wonder why Tim Considine never seems to do these reunions. Did he leave MTS on bad terms? Does he not get along with the cast? Anyone know for sure?

MickeyMac · 11-07-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I wonder why Tim Considine never seems to do these reunions. Did he leave MTS on bad terms? Does he not get along with the cast? Anyone know for sure?

Last I knew he left on good terms and gets along with the cast. From what I understand cars are his passion now, and he devotes his time to that. When Nick at Nite first started showing My Three Sons, they did several interviews with Considine, and from what I remember he seemed to enjoy his experiences on the show.

catlover79 · 11-07-2009, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

Last I knew he left on good terms and gets along with the cast. From what I understand cars are his passion now, and he devotes his time to that. When Nick at Nite first started showing My Three Sons, they did several interviews with Considine, and from what I remember he seemed to enjoy his experiences on the show.

OK, thanks. I DID know he was once married to Charlotte Stewart, best known as Miss Beadle on Little House on the Prairie. His brother John played the evil Reginald Love on Another World back in the 80s.

dahur1 · 11-08-2009, 02:36 AM

I can't believe how well Don aged. He looks almost the same as he did 40 years ago.

11-07-2009, 01:43 AM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,503	"My Three Sons" Cast Reunites, Reminisces Stars of the 1967 Sitcom Share Memories of Life on the Set, the Iconic Cast and Redefining American Family Link Video (CBS) In 1967, as America was in the midst of a cultural revolution, one long running television hit was redefining what the American family could be. In "The Early Show"'s "Time Machine" series, we took a look back at the television series "My Three Sons." Movie star Fred MacMurray was the star of the sitcom, stunning the film industry when he made the jump from the big screen to the small one. MacMurray played Steven Douglas, a widower raising his three boys with the help of Grandpa Bub and Uncle Charley. As one of the first single fathers on TV, MacMurray helped change the face of the American family. In the mid-1960s "My Three Sons" moved from ABC to CBS, embracing the technology of the day, going from black-and-white to color. After a 13-year run, to this day, "My Three Sons" is the second longest-running live-action family sitcom in history. The stars of the history-making show reunited Friday on "The Early Show", including brothers Stan Livingston (Chip Douglas) and Barry Livingston (Ernie Douglas), Tina Cole (Katie Miller Douglas), and Don Grady (Robbie Douglas). Stan said work on the trailblazing show felt like living in another world. "It was sort of segregated from what was happening in the real world," he said. "I think it was simpler." Barry Livingston added, "The real world was quite tumultuous and revolution was in the air, and we were still eating Uncle Charley's cookies and having milk." But what was it like on the set of "My Three Sons"? Stan said it was a huge deal for MacMurray to make the switch to television. He said, "When the younger generation looks at the show, they don't realize it would be like if Mel Gibson or Michael Douglas decided to do a TV show." But who was crankier on set -- William Demarest, who played Uncle Charley, or William Frawley, who played Grandpa Bub? Don Grady said it was Demarest. "Frawley was a kick," he said. "Frawley was just so much fun." Stan said there wasn't the scandal, as seen on other shows. He said, "There was not a lot of drama, and Fred MacMurray set the tone for that. He was a pretty conservative, straight-arrow guy." Grady said that conservatism extended to other scenes on the show, including the single beds for the married couple, Katie and Robbie. "This was in '67,'68, something like that," he said. "Twin beds?" "You know the roof was coming off the '60s at the time. John and Yoko were having sleep-ins, and so we should have a big bed with Robbie and Chip and Ernie and -- everybody," Grady joked. Tina Cole, who played Katie, said after cast members weighed in on the bed, the show opted for a king-sized bed instead. "It was a huge bed," Cole said. However, Barry Livingston said, the couple couldn't be like a normal American real-life couple actually getting into bed. Cole said the married characters couldn't even face each other by scene's end. "We could talk, but we had to end by turning away," she said. But, in one episode, Cole said, Frederick De Cordova, the show's director, found a way to end the scene with Katie and Robbie in a real embrace. Stan joked, "That's how (the couple's) triplets came about."
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

11-07-2009, 01:57 AM	#3
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	Great article!! Thank you for posting it, Charles. I always wondered what Tina Cole looked like nowadays.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

11-07-2009, 02:32 AM	#4
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,461	I can't beleive Tina Cole still has the same hairstyle! And who knew all it took was an embrace to conceive triplets! Whata fun reunion.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

11-07-2009, 01:46 AM	#2
gidgetgrape Forever Gidget Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 3,508	Thanks for posting this Zoneboy!

11-07-2009, 02:37 AM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	The entire cast looks great - ESPECIALLY Don Grady. Why are Clooney and Pitt getting all the attention? He's WAY better-looking than them.

11-07-2009, 04:32 PM	#11
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	This was nice to see all of these guys, and Tina Cole looks great for her age. One thing, its obvious the interviewers have a limited knowledge of this show. I could have done a better job interviewing these folks.

11-07-2009, 04:39 PM	#12
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	I wonder why Tim Considine never seems to do these reunions. Did he leave MTS on bad terms? Does he not get along with the cast? Anyone know for sure?

11-08-2009, 02:36 AM	#15
dahur1 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 02, 2007 Location: Alamogordo, NM Posts: 195	I can't believe how well Don aged. He looks almost the same as he did 40 years ago.