Alan-A-Dale is a major character in Disney's 1973 animated feature film Robin Hood. His name is only stated once throughout the film, at the moment when he introduces himself, and he is formally credited as "The Rooster".
Background[]
Alan-A-Dale is based on the minstrel of the same name from various Robin Hood legends and is depicted as a rooster. He only states his name at the beginning of the film, where he also introduces himself as a minstrel. He functions as the narrator, using songs to tell the story. He is always seen with his lute.
Appearances[]
Robin Hood[]
Alan-A-Dale first appears in the film's opening, where he introduces himself and then begins telling the story of Robin Hood, him stating that his story was the real story (stating that the animal kingdom knew what truly happened) starting from when Robin Hood and Little John are escaping from The Sheriff of Nottingham and his Wolf Arrowmen, during the song sequence "Oo-De-Lally" which he sang.
Alan-A-Dale next appears as a viewer of Prince John's archery tournament. Together with Friar Tuck, he shoots down Sir Hiss, by using his lute together with an arrow to form a makeshift bow due to both of their suspicions of the serpent (in fact he found that the stork who was winning the tournament was Robin Hood). The two then subsequently trap Sir Hiss in a barrel of ale.
Alan-A-Dale later appears during the song "The Phony King of England", playing his lute and generally joining in the festivities along with Little John among others.
Alan-A-Dale's next major appearance is in the town jail, where he informs the viewers of Prince John's orders to increase the taxes and imprison any townspeople who cannot pay. He then reveals that he has been imprisoned as well, and performs the song, "Not in Nottingham", which tells of the people's despair showing that most people in Nottingham are in jail such as Skippy and Toby Turtle among other characters.
Later on, Alan-a-Dale assists Robin Hood and Little John for them to steal Prince John's wealth and be freed, with they succeed in, Alan using his lute in protecting young animals from arrows being fired.
Alan-a-Dale's final appearance is at the end of the film, where he reveals that King Richard has returned and set everything right. He hears the church bells and rushes to the church, where it is revealed that Robin Hood and Maid Marian have married each other.
House of Mouse[]
Alan-A-Dale is seen briefly in the House of Mouse episode "King Larry Swings In".
Once Upon a Studio[]
In the short, Alan sits in the letter "O" of the word "Animation" on the sign on the roof of the Disney Animation Studios building, while playing the beginning notes of When You Wish Upon a Star on his lute with Scat Cat on his trumpet, Mirabel Madrigal on her accordion, and Hathi, Jr. on his trunk joining in when all the Disney characters were disappointed over the group photo being ruined. As they played the song, they joined the rest of the characters where they managed to take a perfect group photo.
Disney Parks[]
Shanghai Disneyland[]
Alan-A-Dale is one of the characters featured as part of Garden of the Twelve Friends at Shanghai Disneyland, representing the Chinese Zodiac symbol of the Rooster.
Trivia[]
- The Troubadour, a character from The Three Musketeers, has a similar role to Alan-A-Dale: both of them are anthropomorphic animals who narrate a story set in medieval times with music.
- In the French version of Robin Hood, Alan-A-Dale is identified as an animal version of Adam de la Halle, a famous medieval French songwriter.
- Louis Prima, Dean Martin, and Elvis Presley were all considered to voice Alan-a-Dale.
- In the scene where he introduces the Sheriff of Nottingham, Alan-a-Dale was originally supposed to be spotted by the villain, at which point he would've run away.
- He is most likely based on Chanticleer from the play of the same name by Edmund Rostand. It is very likely that his lead animator Milt Kahl drew inspiration for his design from the sketches that Marc Davis drew for Disney's never-completed 1960 adaptation of the play.
- In a third season episode of The Muppet Show in which Roger Miller was the guest star, a "cluckitis" epidemic spreads through the main cast turning everyone into chickens. Roger mentions at the end of the episode that even he had cluckitis once, which possibly could be linked to the fact that in Robin Hood, Alan-A-Dale is portrayed as a rooster.
Gallery[]
Robin Hood[]
Miscellaneous[]
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