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Richard Wattis
Acting
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 Mi…
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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.
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BODY OF WORK
Richard Wattis's Filmography
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The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
as Self (archive footage)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
as Self (archive material)
No Poster
Aladdin
as Emperor Nanki
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
as Mr. Prendergast
Take Me High
as Sir Charles Furness
Diamonds on Wheels
as Sir Hilary Stanton
Sex and the Other Woman
as Presenter
That's Your Funeral
as Simmonds
Games That Lovers Play
as Mr. Lothran
Too Close for Comfort
as Narrator
The Ballad of Tam Lin
as Elroy
Egghead's Robot
Wonderwall
as Perkins
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
as Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
Casino Royale
as British Army Officer
No Poster
The Troublesome Double
as Mr. Wentworth
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
as Manton Bassett
The Alphabet Murders
as Wolf
Up Jumped a Swagman
as Lever, Music Publisher
The Liquidator
as Flying Instructor
Bunny Lake Is Missing
as Clerk in Shipping Office
You Must Be Joking
as Parkins
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
as Travel Agent
Operation Crossbow
as Sir Charles Sims
No Poster
The Bargain
as Narrator
Carry On Spying
as Cobley
The V.I.P.s
as Sanders
Come Fly with Me
as Oliver Garson
Venus fra Vestø
The Longest Day
as British Paratrooper
I Thank a Fool
as Ebblington
Play It Cool
as Nervous Man
Bon Voyage!
as Party Guest
Dentist on the Job
as Macreedy
Nearly a Nasty Accident
as Wagstaffe
Very Important Person
as Entertainments Officer Woodcock
No Poster
Follow That Horse!
Your Money or Your Wife
as Hubert Fry
Libel
as The Judge
The Ugly Duckling
as Barclay
Left Right and Centre
as Harding-Pratt
Ten Seconds to Hell
as Major Haven
The Captain's Table
as Chief Purser Herbert Prittlewell
Follow a Star
as Dr. W. Chatterway
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
as Mr. Murfin
Barnacle Bill
as Registrar of Shipping
Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1
as Hotelier
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's
as Manton Bassett
High Flight
as Wilson
The Abominable Snowman
as Dr. Peter Fox
The Prince and the Showgirl
as Northbrook
Second Fiddle
as Bill Turner
The Green Man
as Doctor
The Silken Affair
as Worthington
A Touch of the Sun
as Purchase
The Iron Petticoat
as Lingerie Clerk
It's a Wonderful World
as Harold
Eyewitness
as Anaesthetist
The Man Who Knew Too Much
as Assistant Manager
The Man Who Never Was
as Shop Assistant
Jumping for Joy
as Carruthers
An Alligator Named Daisy
as Hoskins
Simon and Laura
as Controller of Television Drama
I Am a Camera
as Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
As Long As They're Happy
as Hippodrome Stage Manager
The Colditz Story
as Richard Gordon
A Yank in Ermine
as Boone
The Time of His Life
as Edgar
Lease of Life
as Solicitor
The Crowded Day
as Mr. Christopher
The Belles of St Trinian's
as Manton Bassett
Hobson's Choice
as Albert Prosser
Doctor in the House
as Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
Small Town Story
as Marsh
Background
as David Wallace
The Intruder
as School Master
Blood Orange
as Detective Inspector MacLeod
Park Plaza 605
as Theodore Feather
Innocents in Paris
as Wilkinson
Colonel March Investigates
as Cabot
The Final Test
as Cricket Fan
Appointment in London
as Pascal
Top of the Form
as Willoughby-Gore
Top Secret
as Barnes
Made in Heaven
as The vicar
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
as P.C. Freddie
Derby Day
as Editor
The Importance of Being Earnest
as Seton
Penny Princess
as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Song of Paris
as Carter
Lady Godiva Rides Again
as Casting Director
Appointment with Venus
as Carruthers - Higher Executive
The Clouded Yellow
as Employment Agent
The Happiest Days of Your Life
as Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
The Chiltern Hundreds
as Vicar (uncredited)
Helter Skelter
as Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited)
Kind Hearts and Coronets
as Defence Counsel (uncredited)
Marry Me
as Minor Role (uncredited)
A Yank at Oxford
as Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)