<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.77Q1 OTHR EXHB
<SEQUENCE>4
<FILENAME>ztrcert.txt
<DESCRIPTION>CERTIFICATION LETTER
<TEXT>
EXHIBIT 77Q3 TO FORM N-SAR

Registrant Name: The Zweig Total Return Fund, Inc.
File Number: 811-05620
Registrant CIK Number: 0000836412

Sub-Item 77Q3

Sub-Item 77Q3

(a) (i)	The registrant's Principal Executive Officer and Principal
Financial Officer have concluded, to the best of their knowledge and
belief, and based on their evaluation of the effectiveness of the
design and operation of the registrant's disclosure controls and
procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this
report on Form N-SAR, that the design and operation of such
procedures are effective to provide reasonable assurance that
information required to be disclosed by the investment company in the
reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time
periods specified in the Commission's rules and forms.

(a) (ii) The Principal Executive and Financial Officers concluded
that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, there were no
significant changes in Registrant's internal controls or in other
factors that have significantly affected those controls subsequent to
the date of their evaluation, including any corrective actions with
regard to significant deficiencies or material weaknesses.

(a) (iii) Certifications:

Exhibit 77Q3-1

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Philip R. McLoughlin, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-SAR of The Zweig Total
Return Fund, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial information included in this
report, and the financial statements on which the financial
information is based, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets,
and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a
statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the
periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible
for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act of
1940) for the registrant and have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that
material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
entities, particularly during the period in which this report is
being prepared;

b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the
filing date of this report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

c) presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as
of the Evaluation Date;

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,
based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and
the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or
persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant's
ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and
have identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses
in internal controls; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
internal controls; and

6. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have indicated in
this report whether or not there were significant changes in internal
controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal
controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation,
including any corrective actions with regard to significant
deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date:    February, 2003

 /s/ Philip R. McLoughlin
Philip R. McLoughlin
President


Exhibit 77Q3-2

CERTIFICATIONS



I, Jeffrey Lazar, certify that:


1. I have reviewed this report on Form N-SAR of The Zweig Total
Return Fund, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial information included in this
report, and the financial statements on which the financial
information is based, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets,
and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a
statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the
periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible
for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures
(as defined in rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940)
for the registrant and have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that
material information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
entities, particularly during the period in which this report is
being prepared;

b) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the
filing date of this report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

c) presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
of the disclosure controls and procedures based on our evaluation as
of the Evaluation Date;

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,
based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors and
the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or
persons performing the equivalent functions):

a) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
internal controls which could adversely affect the registrant's
ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data and
have identified for the registrant's auditors any material weaknesses
in internal controls; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
internal controls; and

6. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have indicated in
this report whether or not there were significant changes in internal
controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal
controls subsequent to the date of our most recent evaluation,
including any corrective actions with regard to significant
deficiencies and material weaknesses.

Date: February, 2003

/s/ Jeffrey Lazar
Jeffrey Lazar
Treasurer








</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
