<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/97
000 C000000 0000912751
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 TOTAL RETURN PORTFOLIO
001 B000000 811-8014
001 C000000 6174828260
002 A000000 24 FEDERAL STREET
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02110
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 BOSTON MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-15930
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02110
011 A000001 EATON VANCE DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
011 B000001 8-24081
011 C010001 BOSTON
011 C020001 MA
011 C030001 02110
013 A000001 COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
013 B030001 02109
014 A000001 EATON VANCE DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
014 B000001 8-24081
015 A000001 INVESTORS BANK & TRUST
015 B000001 C
<PAGE> PAGE 2
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02110
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 232
019 C000000 EATONVANCE
020 A000001 REYNDERS GRAY & CO INC
020 B000001 13-2942212
020 C000001 238
020 A000002 FIRST BOSTON CORP
020 B000002 13-5659485
020 C000002 234
020 A000003 SALOMON BROTHERS INC
020 B000003 13-3082694
020 C000003 39
020 A000004 PERSHING DIVISION OF DLJ
020 B000004 13-2741729
020 C000004 33
020 A000005 INSTINET
020 B000005 13-3443395
020 C000005 25
020 A000006 FRIEDMAN BILLINGS & RAMSEY
020 B000006 52-1630477
020 C000006 20
020 A000007 GRUNTAL & CO
020 B000007 13-3179859
020 C000007 13
020 A000008 NATIONAL FINANCIAL SERVICES
020 B000008 04-2785576
020 C000008 11
020 A000009 MORGAN STANLEY & CO INC
020 B000009 13-2665998
020 C000009 8
020 A000010 MYERBERG & CO
020 B000010 13-3751827
020 C000010 7
021 000000 705
022 A000001 THE COMPANY
022 B000001 C/P
022 C000001 1435937
022 D000001 11603
022 A000002 CITICORP
022 B000002 13-3187336
022 C000002 58983
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 FRIEDMAN BILLINGS & RAMSEY
022 B000003 52-1630477
022 C000003 32209
022 D000003 13904
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 A000004 PERSHING DIVISION OF DLJ
022 B000004 13-2741729
022 C000004 31704
022 D000004 12147
022 A000005 FIRST BOSTON CORP
022 B000005 13-5659485
022 C000005 41680
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO
022 B000006 13-5108880
022 C000006 22021
022 D000006 4684
022 A000007 CORPORATE ACTION
022 C000007 0
022 D000007 20857
022 A000008 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH
022 B000008 13-5674085
022 C000008 18504
022 D000008 100
022 A000009 BEAR STEARNS & CO INC
022 B000009 13-3200429
022 C000009 8220
022 D000009 8799
022 A000010 NATWEST SECURTIES CORP
022 C000010 8220
022 D000010 8500
023 C000000 1713214
023 D000000 136129
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 4482
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 13295
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 B010000 2578
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 10260
028 C010000 816
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 10222
028 D010000 1014
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 16974
028 E010000 6855
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 12231
028 F010000 6847
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 16860
028 G010000 22592
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 79842
028 H000000 0
029 000000 N
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
031 A000000 0
031 B000000 0
032 000000 0
033 000000 0
034 000000 N
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
037 000000 N
038 000000 0
039 000000 N
040 000000 N
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 0
042 D000000 0
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 0
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 5
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 500000
048 A020000 0.650
048 B010000 500000
048 B020000 0.625
048 C010000 500000
048 C020000 0.600
048 D010000 500000
048 D020000 0.550
048 E010000 1000000
048 E020000 0.500
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.438
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 0
048 K020000 0.000
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 N
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 Y
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 6
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 0
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 N
066 D000000 N
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 Y
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 Y
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 342326
071 B000000 383977
071 C000000 414547
071 D000000 83
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 2156
072 C000000 10149
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 1467
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 0
072 J000000 95
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 0
072 M000000 0
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 21
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 2
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 6
072 X000000 1591
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 10714
072AA000000 9728
072BB000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 8
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 3460
072DD010000 0
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 2
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 8688
074 D000000 15355
074 E000000 28524
074 F000000 377399
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 10830
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 2818
074 M000000 6
074 N000000 443622
074 O000000 21850
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 54
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 421718
074 U010000 0
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 0.00
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 3
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 434692
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE CO
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION INSURANCE CO
080 C000000 40000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 245
082 A000000 Y
082 B000000 100
<PAGE> PAGE 9
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
SIGNATURE WILLIAM J. AUSTIN, JR.
TITLE ASST. TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000912751
<NAME> TOTAL RETURN PORTFOLIO
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 371,625,535
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 429,966,051
<RECEIVABLES> 13,647,670
<ASSETS-OTHER> 5,539
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 2,416
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 443,621,676
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 21,849,611
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 54,019
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 21,903,630
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 363,365,887
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 0
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 58,352,159
<NET-ASSETS> 421,718,046
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 10,148,838
<INTEREST-INCOME> 2,156,260
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 1,591,291
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 10,713,807
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 9,727,739
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 3,460,156
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 23,901,702
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (33,348,949)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1,466,571
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1,591,291
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 434,691,552
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 0
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 0
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 0
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.74
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
