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Show star who was in Salt Lake this week to promote the City new series is named Ron Hayes. But the star who may steal the show and become the public's favorite is a member of thf horse family named Old Fooler. The show is "The Rounders," which premiered as a movie starring Glen Ford and Old Fooler. As an extension of the movie, television's Rounders" began Sept. 6 at 7:30 on KCPX-T(ABC). It will run every Tuesday at that time for at least 17 weeks. Perhaps you saw it. The V If, ;you didn't, you should. Hayes, who plays Ford's part as Ben Jones, explained "The Rounders" as a d story of two dreamy cowboys trying to bust loose from both Chill Wills, alias boss Jim, Ed Love, and Old Fooler, who's more midathan horse. merry-go-roun- Ed Adamson r explains his show as "not a situation comedy and not- a western, rather a natural comedy set in the contemporary west," which is gobbledygook for "a funny modem western." Producer-write- where," said Hayes. Their problem is the human predicament of their boss who them in the always out-coend and keeps them tied to his "Pat Wayne (John Wayne's land I are two working cowhands who are always dreaminq of stashing enough money to escape our lives and getaway to the South Seas or some 75-fo- ot ns jnx west Texas ranch. Their escape valves are girls and cowtown. But it's all family Hi-L- tertainment o, a en- dont get the wrong idea. Probably the most important complication is Ben Jones' hors? "whom love-hat- e at the same claimed Hayes. Old Fooler was funny in the movie, but he's older and a lot funnier on television. It's the same' horse and even thouqh he's older it's a myth you can't teach this animal new tricks. Possibly 7 ' the best samole of this beast's character is his ability to literally sit down on the job at crucial moments, one of the toughest tricks to teach a horse. "In one episode," Hayes addI , There's nine times World Champ Cowboy Casey Tibbs, of rodeo fame, doing pratfalls on horseback, a man never bucked off except on cue in movies who gets thrown by an elephant. And ed, "it looks like I'm gettinq jlqose from Old FooleT at lait. He suddenly appears to be dying of a broken heart. So I take him back. Next scene U the side of a barn coming off from the effects of quess who?" It's touqh to judge what the public will like, or rather what the' ratinqs will tell them they like, but if the television audience has as much fun watchinq "The Rounders" as the cast had - son beat up pickup and a house spanking new trailer through a barn wall unintentionally. " driving a 1 making it the show will score. ,For one thing, Chill Wills is one of the funniest old pros in Hollywood. "He's enormous," said Hayes, who had never worked with Wills before this series. "He's humorous, inspiring, the rock of the show." Then there are accidents, which stayed in the script, like Pat Weyne as Hovdv Lo'S then there's Pat Wayne and Ron Hayes, who are a couple of talented young actors at this point. Hayes, six foot, 185 pounds, mountain climber, hay rancher, treeman, husband with six children, ten-yetelevision in actor, lieutenant Korea, college' grad, looks and talks as if he could handle anything. Wayne has spent years building his career the way his dad did. Producer Adamson is a proven talent with "Wanted, Dead or Alive" and "Richard Diamond" behind him. But if anything makes this series go, it will be the horse angle. Old Fooler doesn't talk, like "Ed" or "Francis" did. He doesn't have to. He gets it all across with a facial expression, a nip or a limp. If any awards are handed out to "The Roundone ouqht to ers," the sure-fir- e be a "Patsy" for the best per. forming animal. ar ( y |