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