Richard Wattis
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1912-02-25
Day of Death
1975-02-01 (62 years old)
Place of Birth
Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
Richard Wattis
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.
Known For
Acting
(1981)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
as Self (archive material)
(1974)
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
as Carole's Father
(1974)
Aladdin
as Emperor Nanki
(1973)
Diamonds on Wheels
as Sir Hilary Stanton
(1973)
Take Me High
as Sir Charles Furness
(1972)
Sex and the Other Woman
as Presenter
(1972)
That's Your Funeral
as Simmonds
(1971)
Games That Lovers Play
as Mr. Lothran
(1971)
Too Close for Comfort
as Narrator
(1970)
The Ballad of Tam Lin
as Elroy
(1970)
(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)
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)
Operation Crossbow
as Sir Charles Sims
(1965)
Bunny Lake Is Missing
as Shipping Clerk
(1965)
You Must Be Joking
as Parkins
(1965)
The Bargain
as Narrator
(1965)
The Alphabet Murders
as Wolf
(1965)
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
as Travel Agent
(1965)
Up Jumped a Swagman
as Lever, Music Publisher
(1965)
The Liquidator
as Flying Instructor
(1964)
Carry On Spying
as Cobley
(1963)
The V.I.P.s
as Sanders
(1963)
Come Fly with Me
as Oliver Garson
(1962)
The Longest Day
as British Paratrooper
(1962)
(1962)
Bon Voyage!
as Party Guest
(1962)
Play It Cool
as Nervous Man
(1962)
I Thank a Fool
as Ebblington
(1961)
Nearly a Nasty Accident
as Wagstaffe
(1961)
Very Important Person
as Woodcock, Entertainments Officer
(1961)
Dentist on the Job
as Macreedy
(1960)
(1960)
Your Money or Your Wife
as Hubert Fry
(1959)
Ten Seconds to Hell
as Major Haven
(1959)
The Ugly Duckling
as Barclay
(1959)
Libel
as The Judge
(1959)
Follow a Star
as Dr. W. Chatterway
(1959)
The Captain's Table
as Prittlewell
(1959)
Left Right and Centre
as Harding-Pratt
(1958)
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
as Mr. Murfin
(1957)
The Prince and the Showgirl
as Northbrook
(1957)
High Flight
as Wilson
(1957)
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's
as Manton Bassett
(1957)
Second Fiddle
as Bill Turner
(1957)
Barnacle Bill
as Registrar of Shipping
(1957)
The Abominable Snowman
as Dr. Peter Fox
(1957)
Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1
as Hotelier
(1956)
Eyewitness
as Anaesthetist
(1956)
Jumping for Joy
as Carruthers
(1956)
The Man Who Knew Too Much
as Assistant Manager
(1956)
The Green Man
as Doctor
(1956)
The Iron Petticoat
as Lingerie Clerk
(1956)
The Man Who Never Was
as Shop Assistant
(1956)
It's a Wonderful World
as Harold
(1956)
The Silken Affair
as Worthington
(1956)
A Touch of the Sun
as Purchase
(1955)
An Alligator Named Daisy
as Hoskins
(1955)
A Yank in Ermine
as Boone
(1955)
I Am a Camera
as Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
(1955)
The Time of His Life
as Edgar
(1955)
The Colditz Story
as Richard Gordon
(1955)
Simon and Laura
as Controller of Television Drama
(1955)
As Long as They're Happy
as Hippodrome Stage Manager
(1954)
Lease of Life
as Solicitor
(1954)
Doctor in the House
as Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
(1954)
The Crowded Day
as Mr. Christopher
(1954)
Hobson's Choice
as Albert Prosser
(1954)
The Belles of St. Trinian's
as Manton Bassett
(1953)
Background
as David Wallace
(1953)
Blood Orange
as Detective Inspector MacLeod
(1953)
Small Town Story
as Marsh
(1953)
The Final Test
as Cricket Fan
(1953)
Innocents in Paris
as Wilkinson
(1953)
Park Plaza 605
as Theodore Feather
(1953)
Appointment in London
as Pascal
(1953)
The Intruder
as School Master
(1953)
Colonel March Investigates
as Cabot
(1953)
Top of the Form
as Willoughby-Gore
(1952)
The Importance of Being Earnest
as Seton
(1952)
Song of Paris
as Carter
(1952)
Made in Heaven
as The vicar
(1952)
Penny Princess
as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
(1952)
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
as P.C. Freddie
(1952)
Derby Day
as Editor
(1952)
Top Secret
as Barnes
(1951)
Appointment with Venus
as Carruthers - Higher Executive
(1951)
Lady Godiva Rides Again
as Casting Director
(1950)
The Clouded Yellow
as Employment Agent
(1950)
The Happiest Days of Your Life
as Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
(1949)
Marry Me
as Minor Role (uncredited)
(1949)
Kind Hearts and Coronets
as Defence Counsel (uncredited)
(1949)
The Chiltern Hundreds
as Vicar (uncredited)
(1949)
Helter Skelter
as Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited)
(1938)
A Yank at Oxford
as Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)