Richard Wattis
Acting
Born 1912-02-25
Died 1975-02-01
Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
111 credits
Read 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.
Not enough member ratings yet.
Sign in to rate.
Filmography
— top 60 of 111
Acting
54 credits
The Avengers
Danger Man
The Goodies
The Prisoner
The Longest Day
Sykes
Casino Royale
Centre Play
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Kind Hearts and Coronets
The Prince and the Showgirl
Operation Crossbow
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
Bunny Lake Is Missing
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Hobson's Choice
The Abominable Snowman
The Man Who Never Was
The Captain's Table
The V.I.P.s
Coppers End
The Alphabet Murders
Carry On Spying
You Must Be Joking
The Belles of St Trinian's
Bon Voyage!
Barnacle Bill
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Liquidator
The Colditz Story
Wonderwall
Ten Seconds to Hell
A Yank at Oxford
The Ballad of Tam Lin
Sex and the Other Woman
Doctor in the House
The Green Man
As Long as They're Happy
Top Secret
The Iron Petticoat
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
Second Fiddle
Dentist on the Job
The Silken Affair
Helter Skelter
Park Plaza 605
A Touch of the Sun
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
Up Jumped a Swagman
It's a Wonderful World
An Alligator Named Daisy
The Clouded Yellow
Other credits
6 credits
Hancock's Half Hour
The Dickie Henderson Show
Sykes and a...
Egghead's Robot
The Liberace Show
Lady Godiva Rides Again
Track what you watch
DuckTrack members see which of these they have already watched,
right here on this page.
Create a free account
Comments
0 commentsNo comments yet. Sign in to be the first.