The Rounders (1966–1967)

Information from IMDb

Plot Summary
The Rounders is a western-style situation comedy
about two cowboys on the fictitious J.L. Ranch in Texas.

Series Cast
Ron Hayes ... Ben Jones (17 episodes, 1966-1967)
Patrick Wayne ... 'Howdy' Lewis (17 episodes, 1966-1967)
Chill Wills ... Jim Ed Love (17 episodes, 1966-1967)
G.D. Spradlin ... Jed (2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Strother Martin ... Cousin Fletch (2 episodes, 1966)
Hal Smith ... Orville (2 episodes, 1966)
Robert Williams ... Doctor (2 episodes, 1966)
Bobbie Jordan ... Ada (unknown episodes)
Janis Hansen ... Sally (unknown episodes)
Jason Wingreen ... Shorty Dawes (unknown episodes)
Walker Edmiston ... Regan (unknown episodes)
J. Pat O'Malley ... Vince (unknown episodes)
James Brown ... Luke (unknown episodes)

Series Directed
Hollingsworth Morse (8 episodes, 1966-1967)
Alexander Singer (4 episodes, 1966)
Tom Gries (2 episodes, 1966)
Allen Reisner (2 episodes, 1966)

Series Writing Credits
Max Evans (17 episodes, 1966-1967)
Marion Hargrove (2 episodes, 1966)

The Rounders is a 17-episode western-style situation comedy
about two cowboys on the fictitious J.L. Ranch in Texas,
starring Ron Hayes as Ben Jones and Patrick Wayne a son of John Wayne, as Howdy Lewis.
The M-G-M television series aired on ABC from September 6, 1966,
to January 3, 1967.
The program was loosely based on a 1965 film of the same name,
The Rounders, starring Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda,
set near Sedona, Arizona, rather than Texas.

Chill Wills, a native Texan and formerly of CBS's Frontier Circus,
appeared as the shady ranch owner, Jim Ed Love.
Janis Hansen co-starred as Ben's girlfriend, Sally,
and Bobbi Jordan played Howdy's girlfriend Ada.
Jason Wingreen appeared as Shorty Dawes,
and Walker Edmiston as Regan.
Character actors Strother Martin and J. Pat O'Malley
appeared as "Cousin Fletch" and "Vince", respectively.
James Brown, formerly the lieutenant on The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, played "Luke".

Selected episodes with notable guest stars include:
"A Horse on Jim Ed Love", series premiere with
Harry Carey, Jr.; "It's a Noble Thing to Do",
with John Smith, formerly Slim Sherman on NBC's Laramie; "Don't Buffalo Me",
with Jay Silverheels, formerly Tonto of The Lone Ranger,
as John Tallgrass; "The Moonshine Still Shines"; "It Takes Only One to Suffer";
"The Scavenger Hunt" with Zsa Zsa Gabor as Ilona Hobson;
"Some Things Are Not for Sale"; "Four Alarm Wing Ding",
with Dick Haynes as a sheriff; "Horse of a Different Cutter" with Andy Devine
as Honest John Denton and Strother Martin as Cousin Fletch; "Polo, Anyone?",
with Jay C. Flippen as Kenny Fahrbush; "Efficiency Is for Experts",
and "What Elephants?", the series finale, in which Ben and Howdy
try to hide an elephant in plain sight.

The Rounders was broadcast on Tuesday evenings
at 8:30 Eastern in the time slot following ABC's
long-running military drama Combat!, then in its last season,
and preceding Phyllis Diller's unsuccessful attempt at a weekly sitcom,
The Pruitts of Southampton.
The Rounders aired opposite The Red Skelton Show
on CBS and the sitcom Occasional Wife, starring Michael Callan,
on NBC.] Prior to The Rounders, Ron Hayes
had appeared in the starring role of the syndicated series The Everglades.

Not really a 'Classic' but more of interest value,
as it starts Patrick Wayne.
Also besides Chill Wills the series stars other Duke 'Pals' notably
Strother Martin, Harry Carey, Jr.,
Andy Devine, Jay C. Flippen

User Review

Quote

No comparison to the great film .........
2 June 2006 | by revdrcac (United States)

The Rounders was a fantastic western comedy of 1965 that paired Glenn Ford with Henry Fonda .
That film is a classic of the period and remains a favorite of western fans.
This TV series was a poor attempt to reignite the chemistry of the film. The experiment failed.

Chill Wills reprized his role as the shady rancher, Jim Ed Love .... and he was hilarious in the role.
Unfortunately, Ford and Fonda are sorely missed in this series.
The writing was not up to the standard of the film ----
and the end result was this mediocre, short-lived western series.

Stick with the big-screen version, this series failed to deliver.

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