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)
That's Your Funeral
as Simmonds
(1972)
Sex and the Other Woman
as Presenter
(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)
The Alphabet Murders
as Wolf
(1965)
The Liquidator
as Flying Instructor
(1965)
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
as Travel Agent
(1965)
You Must Be Joking
as Parkins
(1965)
Up Jumped a Swagman
as Lever, Music Publisher
(1965)
The Bargain
as Narrator
(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)
Bon Voyage!
as Party Guest
(1962)
Play It Cool
as Nervous Man
(1962)
(1962)
I Thank a Fool
as Ebblington
(1961)
Nearly a Nasty Accident
as Wagstaffe
(1961)
Dentist on the Job
as Macreedy
(1961)
Very Important Person
as Woodcock, Entertainments Officer
(1960)
Your Money or Your Wife
as Hubert Fry
(1960)
(1959)
Libel
as The Judge
(1959)
Ten Seconds to Hell
as Major Haven
(1959)
The Captain's Table
as Prittlewell
(1959)
Follow a Star
as Dr. W. Chatterway
(1959)
The Ugly Duckling
as Barclay
(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)
Barnacle Bill
as Registrar of Shipping
(1957)
The Abominable Snowman
as Dr. Peter Fox
(1957)
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's
as Manton Bassett
(1957)
High Flight
as Wilson
(1957)
Second Fiddle
as Bill Turner
(1956)
The Man Who Knew Too Much
as Assistant Manager
(1956)
The Man Who Never Was
as Shop Assistant
(1956)
The Green Man
as Doctor
(1956)
A Touch of the Sun
as Purchase
(1956)
The Iron Petticoat
as Lingerie Clerk
(1956)
Eyewitness
as Anaesthetist
(1956)
The Silken Affair
as Worthington
(1956)
Jumping for Joy
as Carruthers
(1956)
It's a Wonderful World
as Harold
(1955)
A Yank in Ermine
as Boone
(1955)
The Colditz Story
as Richard Gordon
(1955)
Simon and Laura
as Controller of Television Drama
(1955)
An Alligator Named Daisy
as Hoskins
(1955)
I Am a Camera
as Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
(1955)
As Long as They're Happy
as Hippodrome Stage Manager
(1955)
The Time of His Life
as Edgar
(1954)
Hobson's Choice
as Albert Prosser
(1954)
The Belles of St. Trinian's
as Manton Bassett
(1954)
Doctor in the House
as Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
(1954)
The Crowded Day
as Mr. Christopher
(1954)
Lease of Life
as Solicitor
(1953)
Appointment in London
as Pascal
(1953)
The Intruder
as School Master
(1953)
The Final Test
as Cricket Fan
(1953)
Innocents in Paris
as Wilkinson
(1953)
Blood Orange
as Detective Inspector MacLeod
(1953)
Park Plaza 605
as Theodore Feather
(1953)
(1953)
Colonel March Investigates
as Cabot
(1953)
Small Town Story
as Marsh
(1953)
Background
as David Wallace
(1952)
The Importance of Being Earnest
as Seton
(1952)
Derby Day
as Editor
(1952)
Top Secret
as Barnes
(1952)
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
as P.C. Freddie
(1952)
Made in Heaven
as The vicar
(1952)
Song of Paris
as Carter
(1952)
Penny Princess
as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
(1951)
Lady Godiva Rides Again
as Casting Director
(1951)
Appointment with Venus
as Carruthers - Higher Executive
(1950)
The Happiest Days of Your Life
as Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
(1950)
The Clouded Yellow
as Employment Agent
(1949)
Kind Hearts and Coronets
as Defence Counsel (uncredited)
(1949)
Marry Me
as Minor Role (uncredited)
(1949)
Helter Skelter
as Compere of Nick Nack Show
(1949)
The Chiltern Hundreds
as Vicar (uncredited)
(1938)
A Yank at Oxford
as Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)