My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1
by Earl Bellamy, Frederick De Cordova, James V. Kern, Gene Reynolds, James Sheldon
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Actor: Don Grady, Fred MacMurray, John Howard, William Demarest, William FrawleyDirector: Earl Bellamy, Frederick De Cordova, Gene Reynolds, James Sheldon, James V. Kern
Brand: Paramount
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Mono; English (Original Language), Mono
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 420 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-09-30
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
DVD Reviews of My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1
DVD Review: "My Three Sons" DVD set one... a hit and a miss
Summary: 3 Stars
I remember growing up watching the color episodes of "My Three Sons" and never really liking the show that much. It seemed very unrealistic and idealized to me. I especially disliked the very late shows when Fred MacMurray's character, Steve Douglas, got remarried and adopted that annoying little girl.
When my family got Nick-At-Nite in the late 80s I recall seeing the early black and white episodes and being amazed. Those early shows were (IMHO) miles above the later shows. The characters were more realistically written and portrayed and the family situations reminded me more of my own childhood (coming from a family with two older brothers myself). The whole attitude of the early episodes was very much unlike other family sitcoms of that era. The Cleavers, Stones, Nelsons, etc., lived in tidy suburban perfection while the Douglas family's world was much rougher around the edges. The kids even kept their rooms messy like real boys would. I found myself hooked on the classic B&W "My Three Sons"!
So, what made the early seasons so much better than the color shows? Well, for me it would have to be William Frawley as grandpa Bub. Yes, he is a bit cranky and short-tempered at times but you knew he loved the kids and would do anything for them. I really think he was the heart and soul of the early shows. It's also really kind of funny that old, crusty Bub took pride in being the "woman of the house." He earned that title by doing all the cooking, cleaning, laundry and child rearing in the absence of Steve Douglas. I never really liked Uncle Charley in the later episodes. He just seemed too mean-spirited to me. Frawley had that gruff exterior but we always knew he was a real mush underneath.
I also really enjoyed the dynamic between the original "Three Sons." I had never seen eldest son Mike before Nick-At-Nite's repeats. I really liked what he brought to the series. Middle son Robbie's jealousy of and rivalry with Mike was a very true-to-life aspect of the show as well. Robbie is quite goofy and awkward in the early seasons and often felt overshadowed by Mike, who seemed to excel at everything. Chip as a little kid was a lot of fun too.
ABOUT THIS DVD RELEASE:
First, the good news. The picture quality is outstanding. The images are crisp and clear and every bit as good as any quality DVD release of this era. Time wise the shows don't seem to be edited as they run about 26 minutes long.
Now, the bad news. If you have read some of the other reviews or have researched this DVD release online you have, no doubt, read about the controversy surrounding the incidental music. I have no clue why CBS/Paramount would replace the music cues but I, like most fans, think it's a horrible decision. One of the things I vividly remember about seeing these on Nick-At-Nite was the background music. It was unlike anything else from it's time... very quirky and distinctive. Even stranger, as my online investigation revealed, episode one and episode three on this set contain the original scores. How'd they manage to use the original music cues for those two yet they couldn't (or wouldn't) on the other 15 episodes? I also wonder how, if it was a financial decision, it could have been cheaper to rescore these shows rather than use the original music. How expensive could 48 year-old background music be?
The fact that CBS/Paramount is releasing half season sets bugs me too. If they didn't alter the music I could ignore this one but giving fans a half season of altered episodes at full season prices isn't fair.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If you liked the color episodes of "My Three Sons" (and maybe even if you didn't) you'll probably enjoy the early shows. My buying advice would be to pick this set up if you are a fan as I doubt they will ever release it again and very likely will never get the whole series released.
I'd give "My Three Sons" a full five stars but would give this release (because of the music and half season issues) only 3 stars.
Description of My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1
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