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