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.
Photos
Films (99)
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
2004 · Self (archive footage)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981 · Self (archive material)
Aladdin
1974 · Emperor Nanki
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
1974 · Mr. Prendergast
Take Me High
1973 · Sir Charles Furness
Diamonds on Wheels
1973 · Sir Hilary Stanton
Sex and the Other Woman
1972 · Presenter
That's Your Funeral
1972 · Simmonds
Games That Lovers Play
1971 · Mr. Lothran
Too Close for Comfort
1971 · Narrator
The Ballad of Tam Lin
1970 · Elroy
Egghead's Robot
1970
Wonderwall
1969 · Perkins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1968 · Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
Casino Royale
1967 · British Army Officer
The Troublesome Double
1967 · Mr. Wentworth
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
1966 · Manton Bassett
The Alphabet Murders
1965 · Wolf
Up Jumped a Swagman
1965 · Lever, Music Publisher
The Liquidator
1965 · Flying Instructor
Bunny Lake Is Missing
1965 · Clerk in Shipping Office
You Must Be Joking
1965 · Parkins
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
1965 · Travel Agent
Operation Crossbow
1965 · Sir Charles Sims
The Bargain
1965 · Narrator
Carry On Spying
1964 · Cobley
The V.I.P.s
1963 · Sanders
Come Fly with Me
1963 · Oliver Garson
Venus fra Vestø
1962
The Longest Day
1962 · British Paratrooper
I Thank a Fool
1962 · Ebblington
Play It Cool
1962 · Nervous Man
Bon Voyage!
1962 · Party Guest
Dentist on the Job
1961 · Macreedy
Nearly a Nasty Accident
1961 · Wagstaffe
Very Important Person
1961 · Entertainments Officer Woodcock
Follow That Horse!
1960
Your Money or Your Wife
1960 · Hubert Fry
Libel
1959 · The Judge
The Ugly Duckling
1959 · Barclay
Left Right and Centre
1959 · Harding-Pratt
Ten Seconds to Hell
1959 · Major Haven
The Captain's Table
1959 · Chief Purser Herbert Prittlewell
Follow a Star
1959 · Dr. W. Chatterway
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
1958 · Mr. Murfin
Barnacle Bill
1957 · Registrar of Shipping
Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1
1957 · Hotelier
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's
1957 · Manton Bassett
High Flight
1957 · Wilson
The Abominable Snowman
1957 · Dr. Peter Fox
The Prince and the Showgirl
1957 · Northbrook
Second Fiddle
1957 · Bill Turner
The Green Man
1956 · Doctor
The Silken Affair
1956 · Worthington
A Touch of the Sun
1956 · Purchase
The Iron Petticoat
1956 · Lingerie Clerk
It's a Wonderful World
1956 · Harold
Eyewitness
1956 · Anaesthetist
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956 · Assistant Manager
The Man Who Never Was
1956 · Shop Assistant
Jumping for Joy
1956 · Carruthers
An Alligator Named Daisy
1955 · Hoskins
Simon and Laura
1955 · Controller of Television Drama
I Am a Camera
1955 · Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
As Long As They're Happy
1955 · Hippodrome Stage Manager
The Colditz Story
1955 · Richard Gordon
The Time of His Life
1955 · Edgar
A Yank in Ermine
1955 · Boone
Lease of Life
1954 · Solicitor
The Crowded Day
1954 · Mr. Christopher
The Belles of St Trinian's
1954 · Manton Bassett
Hobson's Choice
1954 · Albert Prosser
Doctor in the House
1954 · Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
Small Town Story
1953 · Marsh
Background
1953 · David Wallace
The Intruder
1953 · School Master
Blood Orange
1953 · Detective Inspector MacLeod
Park Plaza 605
1953 · Theodore Feather
Innocents in Paris
1953 · Wilkinson
Colonel March Investigates
1953 · Cabot
The Final Test
1953 · Cricket Fan
Appointment in London
1953 · Pascal
Top of the Form
1953 · Willoughby-Gore
Top Secret
1952 · Barnes
Made in Heaven
1952 · The vicar
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
1952 · P.C. Freddie
Derby Day
1952 · Editor
The Importance of Being Earnest
1952 · Seton
Penny Princess
1952 · Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Song of Paris
1952 · Carter
Lady Godiva Rides Again
1951 · Casting Director
Appointment with Venus
1951 · Carruthers - Higher Executive
The Clouded Yellow
1950 · Employment Agent
The Happiest Days of Your Life
1950 · Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
The Chiltern Hundreds
1949 · Vicar (uncredited)
Helter Skelter
1949 · Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited)
Kind Hearts and Coronets
1949 · Defence Counsel (uncredited)
Marry Me
1949 · Minor Role (uncredited)
A Yank at Oxford
1938 · Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)
Séries (13)
Centre Play
1973 · Arthur
Sykes
1972 · Charles Brown
Coppers End
1971 · PC Eddie Edwards
The Goodies
1970 · TV Show Host
The Prisoner
1967 · Fotheringay
Misleading Cases
1967 · Mr Grout
The Avengers
1961 · Clarke
The Dickie Henderson Show
1960
Danger Man
1960 · Hardy
Sykes and a...
1960
Hancock's Half Hour
1956
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
1956 · Arthur Cabot
The Liberace Show
1952