Richard Wattis
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
Credits
- 1981 · Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers as Self (archive material)
- 1974 · Confessions of a Window Cleaner as Carole's Father
- 1973 · Take Me High as Sir Charles Furness
- 1973 · Diamonds on Wheels as Sir Hilary Stanton
- 1972 · Sex and the Other Woman as Presenter
- 1972 · That's Your Funeral as Simmonds
- 1972 · Sykes as
- 1972 · Sykes as Charles Brown
- 1971 · Coppers End as
- 1971 · Games That Lovers Play as Mr. Lothran
- 1971 · Too Close for Comfort as Narrator
- 1970 · The Ballad of Tam Lin as Elroy
- 1970 · The Goodies as
- 1970 · The Goodies as TV Show Host
- 1970 · Egghead's Robot as
- 1968 · Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
- 1968 · Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as Secretary at Sweet Factory (Uncredited)
- 1968 · Wonderwall as Perkins
- 1967 · The Prisoner as Fotheringay
- 1967 · Casino Royale as British Army Officer
- 1967 · The Troublesome Double as Mr. Wentworth
- 1966 · The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery as Manton Bassett
- 1965 · The Alphabet Murders as Wolf
- 1965 · Up Jumped a Swagman as Lever, Music Publisher
- 1965 · The Liquidator as Flying Instructor
- 1965 · Bunny Lake Is Missing as Shipping Clerk
- 1965 · You Must Be Joking as Parkins
- 1965 · The Battle of the Villa Fiorita as Travel Agent
- 1965 · Operation Crossbow as Sir Charles Sims
- 1965 · The Bargain as Narrator
- 1964 · Carry On Spying as Cobley
- 1963 · The V.I.P.s as Sanders
- 1963 · Come Fly with Me as Oliver Garson
- 1962 · Venus fra Vestø as
- 1962 · The Longest Day as British Paratrooper
- 1962 · I Thank a Fool as Ebblington
- 1962 · Bon Voyage! as Party Guest
- 1962 · Play It Cool as Nervous Man
- 1961 · Dentist on the Job as Macreedy
- 1961 · Nearly a Nasty Accident as Wagstaffe
- 1961 · Very Important Person as Woodcock, Entertainments Officer
- 1961 · The Avengers as Clarke
- 1960 · Follow That Horse! as
- 1960 · Your Money or Your Wife as Hubert Fry
- 1960 · Sykes and a... as
- 1959 · Libel as The Judge
- 1959 · The Ugly Duckling as Barclay
- 1959 · Left Right and Centre as Harding-Pratt
- 1959 · Ten Seconds to Hell as Major Haven
- 1959 · The Captain's Table as Prittlewell
- 1959 · Follow a Star as Dr. W. Chatterway
- 1958 · The Inn of the Sixth Happiness as Mr. Murfin
- 1957 · Barnacle Bill as Registrar of Shipping
- 1957 · Blue Murder at St. Trinian's as Manton Bassett
- 1957 · High Flight as Wilson
- 1957 · The Abominable Snowman as Dr. Peter Fox
- 1957 · The Prince and the Showgirl as Northbrook
- 1957 · Second Fiddle as Bill Turner
- 1956 · The Green Man as Doctor
- 1956 · The Silken Affair as Worthington
- 1956 · A Touch of the Sun as Purchase
- 1956 · The Iron Petticoat as Lingerie Clerk
- 1956 · It's a Wonderful World as Harold
- 1956 · Eyewitness as Anaesthetist
- 1956 · Hancock's Half Hour as
- 1956 · The Man Who Knew Too Much as Assistant Manager
- 1956 · The Man Who Never Was as Shop Assistant
- 1956 · Colonel March of Scotland Yard as Arthur Cabot
- 1956 · Jumping for Joy as Carruthers
- 1955 · An Alligator Named Daisy as Hoskins
- 1955 · Simon and Laura as Controller of Television Drama
- 1955 · I Am a Camera as Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
- 1955 · As Long as They're Happy as Hippodrome Stage Manager
- 1955 · The Colditz Story as Richard Gordon
- 1955 · A Yank in Ermine as Boone
- 1955 · The Time of His Life as Edgar
- 1954 · Lease of Life as Solicitor
- 1954 · The Crowded Day as Mr. Christopher
- 1954 · The Belles of St. Trinian's as Manton Bassett
- 1954 · Hobson's Choice as Albert Prosser
- 1954 · Doctor in the House as Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
- 1953 · Small Town Story as Marsh
- 1953 · Background as David Wallace
- 1953 · The Intruder as School Master
- 1953 · Blood Orange as Detective Inspector MacLeod
- 1953 · Park Plaza 605 as Theodore Feather
- 1953 · Innocents in Paris as Wilkinson
- 1953 · Colonel March Investigates as Cabot
- 1953 · The Final Test as Cricket Fan
- 1953 · Appointment in London as Pascal
- 1953 · Top of the Form as
- 1952 · Top Secret as Barnes
- 1952 · Made in Heaven as The vicar
- 1952 · Mother Riley Meets the Vampire as P.C. Freddie
- 1952 · Derby Day as Editor
- 1952 · The Importance of Being Earnest as Seton
- 1952 · The Liberace Show as
- 1952 · Song of Paris as Carter
- 1951 · Lady Godiva Rides Again as Casting Director
- 1951 · Appointment with Venus as Carruthers - Higher Executive
- 1950 · The Clouded Yellow as Employment Agent
- 1950 · The Happiest Days of Your Life as Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
- 1949 · The Chiltern Hundreds as Vicar (uncredited)
- 1949 · Kind Hearts and Coronets as Defence Counsel (uncredited)
- 1949 · Marry Me as Minor Role (uncredited)
- 1949 · Helter Skelter as Compere of Nick Nack Show
- 1938 · A Yank at Oxford as Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)