Tag: Classic TV

Don Grady Through the Years

Don Grady My Three Sons Don Grady, who played Robbie Douglas on My Three Sons (1960-1972), passed away June 27, 2012 at the age of 68. Another actor who guest starred on the show, Doris Singleton, passed away around the same time.

My Three Sons

I remember watching My Three Sons when I was growing up. Because of my age, I did not originally watch the early seasons when Robbie was the middle son of Fred MacMurray’s character.  But I remember watching the later years when Grady was the oldest son after actor Tim Considine departed the show.

A few years ago, though, I went back and watched the first season of the series and found it fascinating in the way it differed from the later years. Many find that the show was innovative in its early years, and it is too bad that there are only a couple complete seasons that officially are available on DVD now.

Here is part of an early episode of My Three Sons featuring Don Grady.

USA Today reports that Barry Livingston, who played youngest son Ernie Douglas in the later seasons, was the person who confirmed Grady’s death to the Associated Press. Livingston noted how he saw Grady as a real older brother and had learned a lot from him.

In addition to his acting career, Grady was a talented musician, and Livingston noted, “I would think Don would love to be remembered for his great music as much as a teen idol and television icon.”

So, in remembering Don Grady, here are a few different aspects of his career. First, before My Three Sons Grady appeared in a commercial singing and dancing, although unfortunately that video is no longer available on YouTube.

Don Grady, The Greefs, and Pop Music

Here Grady is singing on Hollywood A Go-Go.

Grady toyed with the idea of being a pop star while still on My Three Sons, where he had the band the Greefs. Below are the Greefs with “Good Man to Have Around the House.”

Grady’s Other Music Career

But after My Three Sons ended, Grady went in another music direction. He wrote music for movies and TV shows, including the opening music for The Phil Donahue Show.

From what I can tell from the Internet, he wrote the theme used in 1979 below (but feel free to correct me if you know of other information). Check it out.

In 2008, Grady released the CD Boomer: JazRokPop, which had a jazzier sound than his early pop music.

Reunion

Finally, we have to return to My Three Sons.  Here is Don Grady in a My Three Sons “brothers” reunion on The Early Show, including the real-life brothers of Barry Livingston (Ernie) and Stanley Livingston (Chip).  The reunion also includes Tina Cole, who played Robbie’s wife, Katie Miller.

Grady was in Los Angeles while the other cast members were in New York for the taping in this video that appears to be from 2009.

Thanks for the memories. RIP.

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    RIP Colonel Potter

    Mash Col. Potter Today, the actor Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Sherman T. Potter on the television series M*A*S*H from 1975-1983 passed away at the age of 96. He continued the Col. Potter role in the short-lived series After MASH in 1983-1984, and he also had appeared on earlier episodes of M*A*S*H as Maj. Gen. Bartford Hamilton Steele. Our older readers may remember Morgan as the partner of Joe Friday (Jack Webb) on Dragnet. He was an excellent character actor who appeared in many films, including some of my favorite Westerns such as The Ox-Bow Incident (1943), High Noon (1952), and Bend of the River (1952).

    But he always will be Colonel Potter to me, as those M*A*S*H episodes were a constant in my family’s home. In the role, Morgan went from playing character actors to developing a deep role of a man with character. While he often was the straight man (not an easy acting role) to the shenanigans of Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and BJ (Mike Farrell), he also could be funny in his own right.

    Before Morgan’s arrival on the show, many wondered how the show could continue without the departing McLean Stevenson as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake. Stevenson was wonderful on the show, but the M*A*S*H writers demonstrated how a show could thrive after replacing one popular character with a completely different character by exploring new directions (writers for The Office, take note). Where Stevenson played the bumbling uncle to the residents of the M*A*S*H 4077, as Col. Potter, Morgan became the sometimes cranky but always wise and loving father. Like real children, we viewers all loved and learned from Col. Potter.

    RIP.

    What’s your favorite memories of Harry Morgan? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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