Alan-a-Dale Trivia Quiz

Answer: Francis James Child

Child modeled his work of systematically collecting ballads (mostly from printed sources, but also including some oral ones) on the work being done in other countries by the names given as incorrect options, especially that of Grundtvig in Denmark. 'Robin Hood and Allen a Dale' is listed as Child 138, and introduces a wandering minstrel of that name, not included in the earlier legends of Robin Hood. In this ballad, Robin Hood sees Allen (or Allin), dressed in scarlet, on his merry way through the wood; the following day, he sees him returning despondently, and asks him what is the matter. Allen explains that he had planned to marry the woman he loved, but she is about to be married to a rich elderly knight. In return for a vow of allegiance from Allen, Robin and his men hurry to interrupt the nuptials, and Little John weds the happy couple.

Robin Hood ballads were one of the major subjects in Child's collections, and they provide a great deal of the detail used in twentieth century adaptations of the legends.

Answer: Ellen

Pyle's book, aimed at children, presented Robin Hood as a heroic character, robbing the rich to feed the poor as well as defending people from the outrages committed on them by King John (and his men) during the absence on a Crusade of King Richard I. This characterization was in line with the thinking of other nineteenth century writers (Sir Walter Scott's 'Ivanhoe', for example), but was quite different from that found in many of the earlier ballads, in which he was pretty much simply a robber who was out for what he could get.

Pyle combined the story in Child's 'Robin Hood and Allen a Dale' with ballad 123, 'Robin Hood and the Curtal Frier', by having Friar Tuck be the one who replaces the bishop in performing the marriage ceremony of Ellen, this time to the man she loves.

Answer: His sweetheart is saved from a loveless marriage

Sir Allan Clare is far more socially upmarket than Alan a'Dale in the ballads. Despite his respectable status, he is unable to keep the Sheriff of Nottingham from forcing his daughter Lady Christabel, to marry an elderly (and wealthy) Norman knight who is his friend.

The marriage ceremony is, once again, interrupted by Robin Hood, and Little John replaces the bishop to ensure that the lovers are married. After this time, he basically retires from involvement with the Merry Men, but does assist them sometimes.

The lands he owns near Mansfield are in a dale, hence he is referred to as Allan of the Dale, or Allan-a-Dale.

Answer: John Schlesinger

'The Adventures of Robin Hood' starred Richard Greene as Robin, and was broadcast weekly from 1955 until 1959, airing in Canada and the USA as well as in Great Britain. Some episodes were based on the traditional legends, but many were written specifically for the show, expanding yet again the stories associated with Robin Hood. Alan-a-Dale was only a minor character, played in two episodes by John Schlesinger, and in three episodes by Richard Coleman. The series focussed on the attempts of the Sheriff of Nottingham to capture Robin, and Robin's escape, often helped by getting information from Maid Marian. The show featured lots of archery, plenty of swordfights, and galloping horses galore. Many episodes had scripts produced by authors who had been blacklisted in Hollywood, but who were welcome in England.

Do you remember the theme song for the show?

'Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Riding through the glen,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, With his band of men,
Feared by the bad, Loved by the good,
Robin Hood, Robin Hood, Robin Hood.'

John Schlesinger was just starting his career when he played Alan-a-Dale on two episodes of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', and went on to achieve more fame as a director than as an actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for Midnight Cowboy (1969) and was nominated for 'Darling' (1965) and 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' (1971).

Answer: Rooster

This retelling of the Robin Hood legends used anthropomorphic characters: Robin and Marian were foxes, Little John a bear and Friar Tuck a badger. Alan-a-Dale, voiced by country singer Roger Miller, was a rooster who played the lute when he was acting as narrator, and who also got involved in helping Robin at times.

Despite the fact that the setting was ostensibly medieval England, many of the actors were American, including Andy Devine as Friar Tuck and Pat Buttram as the Sheriff of Nottingham (and, of course, Roger Miller). Miller wrote and sang the songs 'Whistle-Stop', 'Oo De Lally' and 'Not in Nottingham' (which was covered by Los Lobos in their 2009 album 'Los Lobos Goes Disney').

Answer: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

The show 'Not Only Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, But Also Their Guests' (always, and understandably, shortened to 'Not Only ... But Also') was originally planned to be hosted by Dudley Moore alone, and the title of the pilot was 'Not Only Dudley Moore, But Also His Guests'. Moore invited his 'Beyond the Fringe' partner, Peter Cook, to join him as one of the guests, and the result was so successful that the show immediately became a two-hander.

The 'Alan a'Dale' song was performed on the third show by the duo, along with Joe Melia, Bill Wallis and John Wells.

Answer: Bing Crosby

Actually, the part was originally planned for Peter Lawford, but Sinatra and he had a falling out, and the part went to Bing Crosby. The Robin Hood story was transplanted to the 1930s in Chicago, with Peter Falk playing Guy Gisborne, a gangster who eliminated the previous boss, Big Jim (played by Edward G. Robinson in an uncredited cameo), and tried to take over the city. Robbo (Frank Sinatra) defied him, trying to hold onto his own turf on the north side of the city. Little John (Dean Martin) joined forces with Robbo, who was offered money by Gisborne's daughter Marian (Barbara Rush) to find her father's killer.

He refused, and gave the money to Will (Sammy Davis Jr), who tried to do a good deed by giving the money to an orphanage run by Allen A. Dale (Bing Crosby). And so on. One of the best things about the film was the song 'My Kind of Town', written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn, and performed by Frank Sinatra.

Answer: Delivering the ransom to release King Richard

'Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood' is a real-time tactical game, in which you control up to five characters, including many of the Merry Men and Maid Marian. The goal is to stay out of the clutches of the Sheriff of Nottingham in order to free King Richard and thwart the evil Prince John. Allan a'Dale makes brief appearance, disguised as Guillaume de Longchamps, a Norman collaborator with Prince John, in order to penetrate to the site where Richard is held captive, and deliver the ransom.

Answer: LeVar Burton

Patrick Stewart, as Captain Picard, became Robin Hood; the rest of the bridge crew are members of his band of Merry Men. It is Geordi La Forge, played by LeVar Burton, who takes on the persona of Alan-a-Dale. Robin and his men need to rescue Vash (now Maid Marian), whose relationship with Picard has been renewed at the start of the episode.

She has been taken captive by the Sheriff of Nottingham (Q), on charges of treason. After derring-do typical of a Robin Hood adventure, including infiltrating the tower and a dramatic rescue moments before Picard's execution, Vash is rescued and leaves to accompany Q on his travels.

Answer: Kentucky Derby

All of these are prestigious horse races, but only the Run for the Roses occurs on the first Saturday in May, at Churchill Downs Racecourse in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is for three-year-old thoroughbreds, and is the first leg of the American Triple Crown, the other two races being the Preakness Stakes (run at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, MD on the third Saturday of May) and the Belmont Stakes (held at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY in early June).

Alan-a-Dale, named after the member of Robin Hood's Merry Men, was the son of Halma, who won the 1895 Kentucky Derby. Racehorse pedigrees are interesting things - the British stallion Leamington was Alan-a-Dale's great-grandfather on his mother's side, and his great-great-grandfather on his father's side. Winning the 1902 Kentucky Derby was the best win of Alan-a-Dale's career, achieved despite going lame in the homestretch with an injury that kept him from racing for the rest of the year.