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Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Biggers conceived of the character as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes; unlike such villains as Fu Manchu, Chan is portrayed as non-threatening and benevolent. However, he is also portrayed as portly and asexual, and while Chan often encounters racism, he does not always speak openly against it.

Over four dozen films featuring Charlie Chan have been made, beginning in 1926. The character was at first portrayed by Asian actors, and the films met with little success. In 1931, the Fox Film Corporation case Swedish actor Warner Oland as Chan in Charlie Chan Carries On; the film was a success, and Fox went on to produce 15 more Chan films with Oland in the title role. Following Oland's death, Scottish American actor Sidney Toler was cast as Chan; Toler made 22 Chan films, first for Fox and then for his own Monogram Studios. After Toler's death, six more films were made, starring Roland Winters. In addition, a number of Spanish- and Chinese-language Chan films were made during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, and American Chan films were shown in China, where the character was popular and respected. More recent film adaptations, in the 1990s, have been unsuccessful. The character has also been featured in several radio programs, two television shows, and a number of comics.

The character has, however, been controversial; some critics argue that Chan is a positive role model of an intelligent and benevolent Chinese character, while others argue that the character is one-dimensional, effeminate, and subservient to whites.