Richard Wattis
Age: 62 | From: Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
Person Details
Birthday: 1912-02-25 05:07:52
Death: 1975-02-01 05:07:52
Aliases: No known aliases
Gender: Male
Place of birth: Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 34
TV Involvements: 3
Most Famous Work
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.
Most Famous Work
The Avengers
(1961) Clarke
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
(1956) Arthur Cabot
The Prisoner
(1967) Fotheringay
The Longest Day
(1962) British Paratrooper
The Man Who Knew Too Much
(1956) Assistant Manager
The Abominable Snowman
(1957) Dr. Peter Fox
Operation Crossbow
(1965) Sir Charles Sims
The Colditz Story
(1955) Richard GordonActing
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Self (archive material) | |
| 1974 | Carole's Father | |
| 1973 | Sir Charles Furness | |
| Sir Hilary Stanton | ||
| 1972 | Presenter | |
| Simmonds | ||
| N/A | ||
| Charles Brown | ||
| 1971 | N/A | |
| Mr. Lothran | ||
| Narrator | ||
| 1970 | Elroy | |
| N/A | ||
| TV Show Host | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1968 | Secretary at Sweet Factory (Uncredited) | |
| Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited) | ||
| Perkins | ||
| 1967 | Fotheringay | |
| British Army Officer | ||
| Mr. Wentworth | ||
| 1966 | Manton Bassett | |
| 1965 | Wolf | |
| Lever, Music Publisher | ||
| Flying Instructor | ||
| Shipping Clerk | ||
| Parkins | ||
| Travel Agent | ||
| Sir Charles Sims | ||
| Narrator | ||
| 1964 | Cobley | |
| 1963 | Sanders | |
| Oliver Garson | ||
| 1962 | N/A | |
| British Paratrooper | ||
| Ebblington | ||
| Party Guest | ||
| Nervous Man | ||
| 1961 | Macreedy | |
| Wagstaffe | ||
| Woodcock, Entertainments Officer | ||
| Clarke | ||
| 1960 | N/A | |
| Hubert Fry | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1959 | The Judge | |
| Barclay | ||
| Harding-Pratt | ||
| Major Haven | ||
| Prittlewell | ||
| Dr. W. Chatterway | ||
| 1958 | Mr. Murfin | |
| 1957 | Registrar of Shipping | |
| Manton Bassett | ||
| Wilson | ||
| Dr. Peter Fox | ||
| Northbrook | ||
| Bill Turner | ||
| 1956 | Doctor | |
| Worthington | ||
| Purchase | ||
| Lingerie Clerk | ||
| Harold | ||
| Anaesthetist | ||
| N/A | ||
| Assistant Manager | ||
| Shop Assistant | ||
| Arthur Cabot | ||
| Carruthers | ||
| 1955 | Hoskins | |
| Controller of Television Drama | ||
| Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited) | ||
| Hippodrome Stage Manager | ||
| Richard Gordon | ||
| Edgar | ||
| Boone | ||
| 1954 | Solicitor | |
| Mr. Christopher | ||
| Manton Bassett | ||
| Albert Prosser | ||
| Medical Book Salesman (uncredited) | ||
| 1953 | Marsh | |
| David Wallace | ||
| School Master | ||
| Detective Inspector MacLeod | ||
| Theodore Feather | ||
| Wilkinson | ||
| Cabot | ||
| Cricket Fan | ||
| Pascal | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1952 | Barnes | |
| The vicar | ||
| P.C. Freddie | ||
| Editor | ||
| Seton | ||
| N/A | ||
| Carter | ||
| 1951 | Casting Director | |
| Carruthers - Higher Executive | ||
| 1950 | Employment Agent | |
| Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne | ||
| 1949 | Vicar (uncredited) | |
| Defence Counsel (uncredited) | ||
| Minor Role (uncredited) | ||
| Compere of Nick Nack Show | ||
| 1938 | Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited) | |
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
