Known For
Acting
Born
Feb 25, 1912
Died
Feb 01, 1975
Place of Birth
Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
Credits
111 titles
Richard Wattis
Biography
Richard Cameron Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was an English actor. After leaving the family business, Wattis became an actor. His debut was with Croydon Repertory Theatre, and he made many stage appearances in the West End in London. His first appearance in a film was A Yank at Oxford (1938), but war service interrupted his career as an actor. He served as a second lieutenant in the Small Arms Section of Special Operations Executive at Station VI during World War II (James Bond author, Ian Fleming worked in the same section). He is best known for his appearances, wearing his thick-rimmed round spectacles, in British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s, often as a "Man from the Ministry" or similar character. He was also involved as the secretary to Lord Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Such appearances included the St Trinian's films (The Belles of St Trinian's, Blue Murder at St Trinian's, and The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery) as Manton Bassett, a civil servant who was the Deputy Director of Schools in the Ministry of Education, where he was often seen frowning and expressing indignation at the outrageous behaviour of other characters. To American audiences, Wattis is probably best known for his performance as the British civil servant Northbrook in The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). He broke from this typecasting in his later films, such as his starring role in Games That Lovers Play. Wattis's other films included Hobson's Choice, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Carry On Spying, The Colditz Story, Dentist on the Job, Very Important Person, The Happiest Days of Your Life, and The Longest Day. He also appeared on television, including a long-running role in Sykes, and appearances in Danger Man, The Prisoner, The Goodies, Hancock's Half Hour, and Father, Dear Father. From 1957 to 1958, he appeared as Peter Jamison in three episodes of the American sitcom Dick and the Duchess.
Known For
Filmography
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
Self (archive footage)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
Self (archive material)
Aladdin
Emperor Nanki
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
Mr. Prendergast
Take Me High
Sir Charles Furness
Diamonds on Wheels
Sir Hilary Stanton
Centre Play
Arthur
Sex and the Other Woman
Presenter
That's Your Funeral
Simmonds
Sykes
Charles Brown
Coppers End
PC Eddie Edwards
Games That Lovers Play
Mr. Lothran
Too Close for Comfort
Narrator
The Ballad of Tam Lin
Elroy
The Goodies
TV Show Host
Egghead's Robot
Wonderwall
Perkins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
The Prisoner
Fotheringay
Casino Royale
British Army Officer
The Troublesome Double
Mr. Wentworth
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
Manton Bassett
The Alphabet Murders
Wolf
Up Jumped a Swagman
Lever, Music Publisher
The Liquidator
Flying Instructor
Bunny Lake Is Missing
Clerk in Shipping Office
You Must Be Joking
Parkins
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
Travel Agent
Operation Crossbow
Sir Charles Sims
The Bargain
Narrator
Carry On Spying
Cobley
The V.I.P.s
Sanders
Come Fly with Me
Oliver Garson
Venus fra Vestø
The Longest Day
British Paratrooper
I Thank a Fool
Ebblington
Play It Cool
Nervous Man
Bon Voyage!
Party Guest
Dentist on the Job
Macreedy
Nearly a Nasty Accident
Wagstaffe
Very Important Person
Entertainments Officer Woodcock
The Avengers
Clarke
The Dickie Henderson Show
Danger Man
Hardy
Follow That Horse!
Your Money or Your Wife
Hubert Fry
Sykes and a...
Libel
The Judge
The Ugly Duckling
Barclay
Left Right and Centre
Harding-Pratt