Richard Wattis
Acting
Born February 25, 1912 · Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
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.
Films (98)
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981
Aladdin
1974
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
1974
Take Me High
1973
Diamonds on Wheels
1973
Sex and the Other Woman
1972
That's Your Funeral
1972
Games That Lovers Play
1971
Too Close for Comfort
1971
The Ballad of Tam Lin
1970
Egghead's Robot
1970
Wonderwall
1969
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1968
Casino Royale
1967
The Troublesome Double
1967
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
1966
The Alphabet Murders
1965
Up Jumped a Swagman
1965
The Liquidator
1965
Bunny Lake Is Missing
1965
You Must Be Joking
1965
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
1965
Operation Crossbow
1965
The Bargain
1965
Carry On Spying
1964
The V.I.P.s
1963
Come Fly with Me
1963
Venus fra Vestø
1962
The Longest Day
1962
I Thank a Fool
1962
Play It Cool
1962
Bon Voyage!
1962
Dentist on the Job
1961
Nearly a Nasty Accident
1961
Very Important Person
1961
Follow That Horse!
1960
Your Money or Your Wife
1960
Libel
1959
The Ugly Duckling
1959
Left Right and Centre
1959
Ten Seconds to Hell
1959
The Captain's Table
1959
Follow a Star
1959
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
1958
Barnacle Bill
1957
Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1
1957
Blue Murder at St Trinian's
1957
High Flight
1957
The Abominable Snowman
1957
The Prince and the Showgirl
1957
Second Fiddle
1957
The Green Man
1956
The Silken Affair
1956
A Touch of the Sun
1956
The Iron Petticoat
1956
It's a Wonderful World
1956
Eyewitness
1956
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956
The Man Who Never Was
1956
Jumping for Joy
1956
An Alligator Named Daisy
1955
Simon and Laura
1955
I Am a Camera
1955
As Long as They're Happy
1955
The Colditz Story
1955
The Time of His Life
1955
A Yank in Ermine
1955
Lease of Life
1954
The Crowded Day
1954
The Belles of St Trinian's
1954
Hobson's Choice
1954
Doctor in the House
1954
Small Town Story
1953
Background
1953
The Intruder
1953
Blood Orange
1953
Park Plaza 605
1953
Innocents in Paris
1953
Colonel March Investigates
1953
The Final Test
1953
Appointment in London
1953
Top of the Form
1953
Top Secret
1952
Made in Heaven
1952
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
1952
Derby Day
1952
The Importance of Being Earnest
1952
Penny Princess
1952
Song of Paris
1952
Lady Godiva Rides Again
1951
Appointment with Venus
1951
The Clouded Yellow
1950
The Happiest Days of Your Life
1950
The Chiltern Hundreds
1949
Helter Skelter
1949
Kind Hearts and Coronets
1949
Marry Me
1949
A Yank at Oxford
1938