The Wool Hat

An assitant director looking for Mike Nesmith on the Screen Gems set of NBC-Tv's new series "The Monkees" has no trouble spotting the lanky Texan member of the musical group. He is seldom seen without his trademark - a slightly battered, dark-green, wool-knit hat.

The most unpredictable of the four free-wheeling young musicians, Mike is not given to conversations that involve explanation.

"Why do you always wear that wool hat?" a bystander asked the other day.

"Because I bought it from an itinerant parrot peddler and I promised him I'd never take it off," Mike drawled.

"Do you own more than one hat like that, or is it always the same one?" the man persisted.

"I've worn the same hat for nine years now," Mike replied. "It's made out of cast-iron thread so I'll probably wear it for the rest of my life."

"Isn't it terribly warm to wear all the time in Hollywood?" was the man's next question.

"No, it's a Texas hat so it's right at home here in California," Mike allowed.