Was Fred MacMurray really not in demand as a film actor before joining My Three Sons

[TMC]

And how did that influence his decision to do TV?

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by TMC

And how did that influence his decision to do TV?

Fred MacMurray had one of the best managed careers of any actor of his era. He was still getting parts in the late 50's but one thing an astute business man couldn't argue was the success of television. In 1950 9% of the country owned a television by 1959 that figure was just about 86%! Among the many talents MacMurray possessed, he was in a very astute business man. He owned a piece of My Three Sons, had a manageable work schedule, 65 work days a year on the series (the MacMurray Method), and continued his movie career well into the 1960's. So nothing about expanding into TV screamed desperation, it pointed to the fact that MacMurray knew exactly how to manage his career and how to make money.