Sidekickery Part L Trivia Quiz

Answer: Little John

Robin Hood's second in command is most often said to be Little John -- an ironic appellation as the character is a seven-foot-tall giant. Little John is a skilled fighter with both quarterstaff and bow. He is also as clever as Robin when it comes to disguises.

In the Disney cartoons, Little John resembles Baloo in "Jungle Book"; both are voiced by Phil Harris. Roger Miller's theme song for the Disney "Robin Hood" (1973) begins "Robin Hood and Little John walkin' through the forest, laughin' back and forth at what the other'ne has to say, reminiscin', this-'n'-thattin' havin' such a good time, oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day."

Answer: Hop Sing

"Bonanza" aired from 1959 to 1973. The few Asians depicted on American television were highly stereotyped in the "no tickee, no laundry" vein. Victor Sen Yung, who was born in the USA, played Hop Sing, the Cartwright Family cook, in a more sympathetic way, although he did occasionally burst into Chinese expletives and chase some offender with a meat cleaver.

Answer: LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

"Maverick" and "Goose" crew the F-14A Tomcat fighter assigned to the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65). In a freak accident, their airplane suffers simultaneous flameout of both its engines, compelling them to eject. In the ejection, Goose's head strikes the canopy, killing him instantly. Anthony Edwards played LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw. Think: Kenny Loggins singing "Highway to the danger zone."

Answer: Sir John Falstaff

Falstaff is mentioned in five of Shakespeare's plays but appears in only three: "Henry IV (Part 1)", "Henry IV (Part 2)" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor". He is blamed by some of the nobility for Prince Hal's unprincely behaviour in the taverns. His influence wanes and he is finally rejected when Henry becomes king.

Answer: Waldo

The nephew Waldo was featured over Chollie, the Chinese houseboy. The latter was too stereotypical: buck-toothed, squinty-eyed, speaking Pidgin English. Waldo was voiced by a large number of vocal actors over the life of the series: Jerry Hausner, Casey Kasem (the disc jockey), and Daws Butler (the voice of Yogi Bear and Quick Draw McGraw).

Answer: Charles Beaumont Parker

The crew of PT-73 was stationed on the Pacific Island of Taratupa during World War II. The boat was commanded by LCDR McHale whose second in command was Ensign Parker. Ernst Borgnine played McHale and Tim Conway played Ensign Parker. McHale consistently referred to his ensign as "Chuck." Parker was a good-natured well-intentioned bungler who was appreciated but not particularly respected by the crew.

Answer: Ish Kabibble

Ish Kabibble chose his stage name as an alternative to his birth name: Merwyn Bogue. On stage, touring, recording, on the radio and in the movies, he played the dimwit, a role emphasized by his Moe Howard haircut. Kyser and Kabibble remained paired for nearly twenty years. See "Ish Kabibble: The Autobiography of Merwyn Brogue", University of Louisiana Press (1989).

Answer: S.S. Van Dine

Little is revealed about Van Dine, save that he once practiced law and continues to advise Vance on his personal finances and occasional legal matters. He is less involved in the twelve Vance novels than is Watson in Holmes' stories. About fifteen versions of the Vance novels were made into movies from 1929 to 1947; Van Dine appears in none of these as the camera largely assumes his role.

Answer: Grover Underwood

It is not easy being a satyr, especially when trying to disguise one's horns and goat legs to pass as human. Grover Underwood is a young satyr (the equivalent of a human teenager) in the series. He is a vegetarian but occasionally consumes tin cans and furniture. On more than one occasion, he is called upon to protect Percy and does so with an unorthodox fighting style.

Answer: Babe the Blue Ox

The legends about Paul Bunyan inspired books, music, theatre and gigantic outdoor fiberglass sculptures of Paul and Babe the Blue Ox. The sculptures at Trees of Mystery in Klamath, California, are 49 feet tall (Paul) and 35 feet tall (Babe). The legend was particularly promoted by author William B. Laughead (1882-1958) and by a 1958 musical cartoon by Walt Disney. According to folklorist and author S. E. ("Sandy") Schlosser, Babe was "so big that 42 axe handles plus a plug of tobacco could fit between his eyes and it took a murder of crows a whole day to fly from one horn to the other."