Richard Wattis

Birthday: 1912-02-25
Deathday: 1975-02-01
Birthplace: Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

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.

Credits

Year Title Character
1974-08-16 Confessions of a Window Cleaner Carole's Father
1973-12-07 Take Me High Sir Charles Furness
1973-08-19 Diamonds on Wheels Sir Hilary Stanton
1972-12-30 Sex and the Other Woman Presenter
1972-12-01 That's Your Funeral Simmonds
1971-01-25 Games That Lovers Play Mr. Lothran
1970-12-01 The Ballad of Tam Lin Elroy
1970-01-01 Egghead's Robot
1968-12-17 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
1968-12-17 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Secretary at Sweet Factory (Uncredited)
1968-05-17 Wonderwall Perkins
1967-04-13 Casino Royale British Army Officer
1967-01-01 The Troublesome Double Mr. Wentworth
1966-03-11 The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery Manton Bassett
1965-12-26 The Alphabet Murders Wolf
1965-12-21 Up Jumped a Swagman Lever, Music Publisher
1965-11-01 The Liquidator Flying Instructor
1965-10-03 Bunny Lake Is Missing Shipping Clerk
1965-08-03 You Must Be Joking Parkins
1965-05-26 The Battle of the Villa Fiorita Travel Agent
1965-04-01 Operation Crossbow Sir Charles Sims
1964-06-01 Carry On Spying Cobley
1963-09-01 The V.I.P.s Sanders
1963-03-27 Come Fly with Me Oliver Garson
1962-12-21 Venus fra Vestø
1962-09-25 The Longest Day British Paratrooper
1962-09-14 I Thank a Fool Ebblington
1962-05-17 Bon Voyage! Party Guest
1962-03-01 Play It Cool Nervous Man
1961-06-01 Dentist on the Job Macreedy
1961-05-01 Nearly a Nasty Accident Wagstaffe
1961-04-24 Very Important Person Woodcock, Entertainments Officer
1960-07-11 Follow That Horse!
1960-03-01 Your Money or Your Wife Hubert Fry
1959-10-23 Libel The Judge
1959-09-09 The Ugly Duckling Barclay
1959-06-23 Left Right and Centre Harding-Pratt
1959-04-23 Ten Seconds to Hell Major Haven
1959-01-06 The Captain's Table Prittlewell
1959-01-01 Follow a Star Dr. W. Chatterway
1958-12-11 The Inn of the Sixth Happiness Mr. Murfin
1957-12-17 Barnacle Bill Registrar of Shipping
1957-12-01 Blue Murder at St. Trinian's Manton Bassett
1957-09-17 High Flight Wilson
1957-08-26 The Abominable Snowman Dr. Peter Fox
1957-06-13 The Prince and the Showgirl Northbrook
1957-06-10 Second Fiddle Bill Turner
1956-12-21 The Green Man Doctor
1956-10-02 The Silken Affair Worthington
1956-10-01 A Touch of the Sun Purchase
1956-09-01 The Iron Petticoat Lingerie Clerk
1956-08-28 It's a Wonderful World Harold
1956-08-14 Eyewitness Anaesthetist
1956-05-16 The Man Who Knew Too Much Assistant Manager
1956-04-03 The Man Who Never Was Shop Assistant
1956-01-01 Jumping for Joy Carruthers
1955-12-13 An Alligator Named Daisy Hoskins
1955-11-02 Simon and Laura Controller of Television Drama
1955-07-21 I Am a Camera Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
1955-03-15 As Long as They're Happy Hippodrome Stage Manager
1955-01-25 The Colditz Story Richard Gordon
1955-01-01 The Time of His Life Edgar
1955-01-01 A Yank in Ermine Boone
1954-10-18 Lease of Life Solicitor
1954-10-01 The Crowded Day Mr. Christopher
1954-09-28 The Belles of St. Trinian's Manton Bassett
1954-04-19 Hobson's Choice Albert Prosser
1954-03-23 Doctor in the House Medical Book Salesman
1953-12-21 Small Town Story Marsh
1953-11-09 Background David Wallace
1953-10-18 The Intruder School Master
1953-10-10 Blood Orange Detective Inspector MacLeod
1953-09-11 Park Plaza 605 Theodore Feather
1953-07-22 Innocents in Paris Wilkinson
1953-07-01 Colonel March Investigates Cabot
1953-04-09 The Final Test Cricket Fan
1953-02-17 Appointment in London Pascal
1953-02-01 Top of the Form
1952-11-10 Top Secret Barnes
1952-11-01 Made in Heaven The vicar
1952-07-11 Mother Riley Meets the Vampire P.C. Freddie
1952-06-09 Derby Day Editor
1952-06-02 The Importance of Being Earnest Seton
1952-02-10 Song of Paris Carter
1951-10-25 Lady Godiva Rides Again Casting Director
1951-10-08 Appointment with Venus Carruthers - Higher Executive
1950-11-21 The Clouded Yellow Employment Agent
1950-03-08 The Happiest Days of Your Life Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
1949-09-27 The Chiltern Hundreds Vicar (uncredited)
1949-06-21 Kind Hearts and Coronets Defence Counsel (uncredited)
1949-06-07 Marry Me Minor Role (uncredited)
1949-01-07 Helter Skelter Compere of Nick Nack Show
1938-02-18 A Yank at Oxford Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)