# Fictional Character - Subject of largest number of films.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 6, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464 "2003-03-06T11:42:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jammers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammers)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/1 "2003-03-06T11:42:51Z")
Does anyone know which fictional character has been the subject of the most films. I think Dracula. I’m probably wrong. Mrs Jammers thinks Sherlock Holmes. She’s probably right. IMDB says 99 Sherlock Holmes, 127 Dracula, but there may be more without the name in the title. Anybody any ideas?
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### Author:  [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/2 "2003-03-06T11:53:05Z")
Yes.
The character Master Wong, of Chinese origin, has been featured in _hundreds_ of films and TV serials.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/3 "2003-03-06T11:55:38Z")
Some smart aleck will shortly drive by shouting ‘Jesus!’.
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### Author:  [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/4 "2003-03-06T11:56:25Z")
What about Mickey Mouse?
I think you need to define your terms more clearly.
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### Author:  [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/5 "2003-03-06T11:59:53Z")
Here’s a link on [Master Wong](http://www.kungfucinema.com/articles/wongfeihung.htm)
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/6 "2003-03-06T12:10:42Z")
The Guinness book of Records have it as [Sherlock Holmes](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.asp?id=50722) at 211 movies.
It also reports [Napoleon](http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/index.asp?id=50725) as being the most filmed historical character.
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### Author:  [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/7 "2003-03-06T12:20:41Z")
Off to Cafe Society.
**DrMatrix** -General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/8 "2003-03-06T14:34:57Z")
Hmmm… let me try and read **Jammers** ’s mind for **Popup** :
OK, it seems reasonable that the Q would be about appearances in a full-length theatrical or TV _feature film_ or self-contained serial/minisieries, as lead or in a major supporting role, of an identifiably-authored fictional human, or fictional characterization of a legendary mytho-heroic figure (e.g. Robin Hood or Hercules).
We may or may not want to restrict this to characters sourced from outside the film/feature-length-TV medium (S. Holmes, Dracula, the Lone Ranger, James Bond).
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### Author:  [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/9 "2003-03-06T14:35:33Z")
IMDB shows 153 for Santa Claus, 3 for Saint Nick, 1 for St. Nicholas. Which brings a total of 157 for the jolly old elf. I’m pretty sure there are more than that because he seems to be in the cast list as just Santa some times but I can’t figure out how to filter these out. When you search on just Santa you also get Santa Cruz and Santa Anna, etc.
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### Author:  [@Jorel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorel)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/10 "2003-03-06T19:33:51Z")
I was going to pop in and say Santa.
no cite, sorry…just a WAG
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### Author:  [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/11 "2003-03-06T20:08:30Z")
Tarzan? He’s the only one that comes to mind, after you’ve already named Sherlock Holmes and Dracula.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/12 "2003-03-06T20:26:02Z")
But is Santa a “fictional” character or a “fictionalized” character? There’s no doubt that there was a bishop named Nicholas at one time, who folks considered to be a pretty swell guy. While the jolly fat guy who drinks Coca-Cola is pretty clearly a different character, it’s not so clear for a character billed as “St. Nicholas”, say, or “Sinterclause”.
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/13 "2003-03-06T21:11:19Z")
According to _The Guinness Book of Movie Facts & Feats_ (1993), by Patrick Robertson, as of 1993,
1. Sherlock Holmes – 211 films.
2. Count Dracula – 159 films.
3. Frankenstein’s monster – 115 films.
4. Tarzan – 98 films.
5. Zorro – 70 films.
6. Hopalong Cassidy – 66 films.
7. The Durango Kid – 64 films.
8. Charlie Chan – 49 films.
9. Robin Hood – 48 films.
Robertson counts both shorts and features, although almost all of the numbers above are for features.
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### Author:  [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/14 "2003-03-06T22:00:48Z")
I’m shocked and disappointed that there were only 90 entries on IMDB for “Hamlet.” I had heard anecdotally that there were over 500 versions of the play on film…
hrh
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/15 "2003-03-06T22:16:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> The character Master Wong, of Chinese origin, has been featured in hundreds of films and TV serials.
However Wong Fei Hung was not a fictional character.
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### Author:  [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/16 "2003-03-06T22:45:32Z")
Wong Fei Hung is, however, a [_legendary_](http://www.kungfucinema.com/articles/wongfeihung.htm) character.
In fact, one actor, Kwan Tak Hing, portrayed Wong in _99 films_.
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [March 6, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/17 "2003-03-06T23:49:39Z")
Santa (AS “Santa”, as opposed to Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra) would fall into the “legendary mytho-heroic” category. Wong Fei Hung, as protrayed in numerous films, is legendary/heroic but brings up the tantalizing debate as to when (both in terms of the attributed deeds and of distance into the past) does someone acquire “mythical” status.
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### Author:  [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/18 "2003-03-07T00:12:23Z")
_Smart Alec Voice_
Jesus!
_/Smart Alec Voice_
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### Author:  [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/19 "2003-03-07T00:49:18Z")
My first thought was Holmes, unless there’s one from a culture I don’t know about. India makes a whole lot of films, and they have a whole lot of mythology, not to mention all that history. We need help.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-character-subject-of-largest-number-of-films/159464/20 "2003-03-07T01:08:52Z")
Hmmmm. I’m not sure if this counts (or is even true) but I had once heard that Dicken’s A Christmas Carol was the movie that had been re-made the most. And so perhaps Scrooge?
If not, my guess would have been Holmes.
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