About this season
The Rounders was a 17-episode western-style situation comedy about two cowboys on the fictitious J.L. Ranch in Texas. It starred 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.
Episodes (18)
1. Pilot
Aired 6 September 1966 • 30 min
2. Frontier Frankenstein
Aired 13 September 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed plans to buy unpredictable Old Fooler and make a fortune selling the critter to a rodeo—but the horse has other ideas abut the transaction.
3. It's the Noble Thing to Do
Aired 20 September 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed is using a remote-control device as a training dogie in hopes of turning the ranch plugs into first class cutting horses—and ending Old Fooler's cow-horse career.
4. The Moonshine Still Shines
Aired 27 September 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed hires Noble Vestry, the world's best cowboy, to show Ben and Howdy what cow-punching really means.
5. Don't Buffalo Me
Aired 4 October 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed begins his job as temporary sheriff by trying to smash a moonshiner's illegal still.
6. The Scavenger Hunt
Aired 11 October 1966 • 30 min
Ben and Howdy stand to make a tidy sum if they can find—and corral—a buffalo for Jim Ed.
7. Some Things are Not for Sale
Aired 18 October 1966 • 30 min
Ben and Howdy are literally lassoed off the J. L. Ranch and into a job at near-by Velvet Haven, an exclusive health resort for women.
8. It Takes Only One to Suffer
Aired 25 October 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed wants to buy Howdy's remarkedly effective good luck piece— but some things just are not for sale.
9. Man of the Year
Aired 1 November 1966 • 30 min
Disgusted with life on the ranch, Ben gives Old Fooler to Howdy and takes over the operation of a one-pump gas station.
10. Four-Alarm Wingding
Aired 15 November 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed wants to be named Man of the Year in Texas, so the ornery tightwad makes a painful effort to change his image.
11. Four Alarm Wingding
Aired 15 November 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed has bought a trailer from Howdy, but the merchandise might not arrive in A-1 condition: Howdy and Ben are throwing a party for the whole darned community in the trailer.
12. You Hold Your Temper, I'll Hold My Tongue
Aired 29 November 1966 • 30 min
Jim Ed promises a handsome sum if Ben Howdy will haul his new boat to Lake Love. Leave it to the two cowpokes to foul up a simple job....
13. Horse of a Different Cutter
Aired 6 December 1966 • 30 min
A cutting-horse contest finds Howdy and Jim backing different entrants—and using all the sneaky tricks in the book to win their bets.
14. Polo, Anyone?
Aired 13 December 1966 • 30 min
15. Low Moon at Hi Lo
Aired 20 December 1966 • 30 min
16. The Sweet Little Old Lady
Aired 27 December 1966 • 30 min
17. Efficiency is for the Experts
Aired 3 January 1967 • 30 min
18. What Elephants?
Aired 3 January 1967 • 30 min