Richard Wattis
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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.
Known for
Credits
The Longest Day (1962)
as British Paratrooper
Casino Royale (1967)
as British Army Officer
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
as Assistant Manager
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
as Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
as Defence Counsel (uncredited)
Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)
as Clerk in Shipping Office
Second Fiddle (1957)
as Bill Turner
The Prince and the Showgirl (1957)
as Northbrook
The Abominable Snowman (1957)
as Dr. Peter Fox
The Ballad of Tam Lin (1970)
as Elroy
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
as Mr. Murfin
Hobson's Choice (1954)
as Albert Prosser
The Man Who Never Was (1956)
as Shop Assistant
Ten Seconds to Hell (1959)
as Major Haven
Operation Crossbow (1965)
as Sir Charles Sims
The Alphabet Murders (1965)
as Wolf
Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951)
as Casting Director
Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974)
as Mr. Prendergast
The Colditz Story (1955)
as Richard Gordon
The V.I.P.s (1963)
as Sanders
Appointment in London (1953)
as Pascal
Helter Skelter (1949)
as Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited)
It's a Wonderful World (1956)
as Harold
The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)
as Seton
Dentist on the Job (1961)
as Macreedy
The Liquidator (1965)
as Flying Instructor
The Iron Petticoat (1956)
as Lingerie Clerk
Bon Voyage! (1962)
as Party Guest
A Yank at Oxford (1938)
as Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)
Doctor in the House (1954)
as Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
Sex and the Other Woman (1972)
as Presenter
Innocents in Paris (1953)
as Wilkinson
The Belles of St Trinian's (1954)
as Manton Bassett
Egghead's Robot (1970)
Actor
Carry On Spying (1964)
as Cobley
Barnacle Bill (1957)
as Registrar of Shipping
The Green Man (1956)
as Doctor
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers (1981)
as Self (archive material)
The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)
as Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
I Am a Camera (1955)
as Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
Very Important Person (1961)
as Entertainments Officer Woodcock
The Silken Affair (1956)
as Worthington
That's Your Funeral (1972)
as Simmonds
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me (2004)
as Self (archive footage)
A Touch of the Sun (1956)
as Purchase
Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957)
as Manton Bassett
The Clouded Yellow (1950)
as Employment Agent
Libel (1959)
as The Judge
Up Jumped a Swagman (1965)
as Lever, Music Publisher
Play It Cool (1962)
as Nervous Man
Simon and Laura (1955)
as Controller of Television Drama
Penny Princess (1952)
as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Come Fly with Me (1963)
as Oliver Garson
Follow a Star (1959)
as Dr. W. Chatterway
The Captain's Table (1959)
as Chief Purser Herbert Prittlewell
You Must Be Joking (1965)
as Parkins
The Chiltern Hundreds (1949)
as Vicar (uncredited)
The Crowded Day (1954)
as Mr. Christopher
Blood Orange (1953)
as Detective Inspector MacLeod
A Yank in Ermine (1955)
as Boone
Top of the Form (1953)
as Willoughby-Gore
Diamonds on Wheels (1973)
as Sir Hilary Stanton
An Alligator Named Daisy (1955)
as Hoskins
Take Me High (1973)
as Sir Charles Furness
Appointment with Venus (1951)
as Carruthers - Higher Executive
Top Secret (1952)
as Barnes
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966)
as Manton Bassett
The Ugly Duckling (1959)
as Barclay
As Long as They're Happy (1955)
as Hippodrome Stage Manager
High Flight (1957)
as Wilson
Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1 (1957)
as Hotelier
I Thank a Fool (1962)
as Ebblington
Made in Heaven (1952)
as The vicar
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita (1965)
as Travel Agent
Park Plaza 605 (1953)
as Theodore Feather
Nearly a Nasty Accident (1961)
as Wagstaffe
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952)
as P.C. Freddie
Left Right and Centre (1959)
as Harding-Pratt
Marry Me (1949)
as Minor Role (uncredited)
The Intruder (1953)
as School Master
The Final Test (1953)
as Cricket Fan
Wonderwall (1969)
as Perkins
Colonel March Investigates (1953)
as Cabot
The Bargain (1965)
as Narrator
Bachelor in Paris (1952)
as Carter
Games That Lovers Play (1971)
as Mr. Lothran
Jumping for Joy (1956)
as Carruthers
Background (1953)
as David Wallace
Eyewitness (1956)
as Anaesthetist
Lease of Life (1954)
as Solicitor
Derby Day (1952)
as Editor
Aladdin (1974)
as Emperor Nanki
Venus fra Vestø (1962)
Actor
Follow That Horse! (1960)
Actor
Your Money or Your Wife (1960)
as Hubert Fry
Small Town Story (1953)
as Marsh
The Time of His Life (1955)
as Edgar
The Troublesome Double (1967)
as Mr. Wentworth
Too Close for Comfort (1971)
as Narrator