Richard Wattis
Born February 25, 1912 (Age: 114)
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Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
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.
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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Filmography
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
1981
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as Self (archive material)
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Age: 69
No Image
Aladdin
1974
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as Emperor Nanki
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Age: 62
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
1974
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as Mr. Prendergast
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Age: 62
Take Me High
1973
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as Sir Charles Furness
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Age: 61
Diamonds on Wheels
1973
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as Sir Hilary Stanton
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Age: 61
Sex and the Other Woman
1972
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as Presenter
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Age: 60
That's Your Funeral
1972
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as Simmonds
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Age: 60
Wonderwall
1969
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as Perkins
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Age: 56
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
1968
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as Secretary at Sweet Factory (Uncredited)
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Age: 56
The Alphabet Murders
1965
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as Wolf
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Age: 53
Up Jumped a Swagman
1965
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as Lever, Music Publisher
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Age: 53
The Liquidator
1965
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as Flying Instructor
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Age: 53
Bunny Lake Is Missing
1965
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as Shipping Clerk
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Age: 53
You Must Be Joking
1965
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as Parkins
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Age: 53
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
1965
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as Travel Agent
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Age: 53
Operation Crossbow
1965
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as Sir Charles Sims
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Age: 53
No Image
The Bargain
1965
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as Narrator
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Age: 52
Carry On Spying
1964
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as Cobley
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Age: 52
The V.I.P.s
1963
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as Sanders
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Age: 51
Come Fly with Me
1963
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as Oliver Garson
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Age: 51
Venus fra Vestø
1962
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as
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Age: 50
The Longest Day
1962
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as British Paratrooper
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Age: 50
I Thank a Fool
1962
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as Ebblington
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Age: 50
Play It Cool
1962
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as Nervous Man
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Age: 50
Bon Voyage!
1962
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as Party Guest
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Age: 50
Dentist on the Job
1961
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as Macreedy
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Age: 49
Nearly a Nasty Accident
1961
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as Wagstaffe
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Age: 49
Very Important Person
1961
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as Entertainments Officer Woodcock
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Age: 49
No Image
Follow That Horse!
1960
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as
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Age: 48
Your Money or Your Wife
1960
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as Hubert Fry
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Age: 48
Libel
1959
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as The Judge
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Age: 47
The Ugly Duckling
1959
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as Barclay
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Age: 47
Left Right and Centre
1959
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as Harding-Pratt
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Age: 47
Ten Seconds to Hell
1959
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as Major Haven
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Age: 47
The Captain's Table
1959
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as Chief Purser Herbert Prittlewell
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Age: 46
Follow a Star
1959
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as Dr. W. Chatterway
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Age: 46
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
1958
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as Mr. Murfin
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Age: 46
The Green Man
1956
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as Doctor
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Age: 44
The Silken Affair
1956
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as Worthington
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Age: 44
A Touch of the Sun
1956
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as Purchase
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Age: 44
The Iron Petticoat
1956
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as Lingerie Clerk
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Age: 44
It's a Wonderful World
1956
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as Harold
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Age: 44
Eyewitness
1956
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as Anaesthetist
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Age: 44
The Man Who Knew Too Much
1956
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as Assistant Manager
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Age: 44
The Man Who Never Was
1956
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as Shop Assistant
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Age: 44
Jumping for Joy
1956
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as Carruthers
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Age: 43
An Alligator Named Daisy
1955
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as Hoskins
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Age: 43
Simon and Laura
1955
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as Controller of Television Drama
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Age: 43
I Am a Camera
1955
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as Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
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Age: 43
As Long as They're Happy
1955
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as Hippodrome Stage Manager
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Age: 43
The Colditz Story
1955
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as Richard Gordon
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Age: 42
A Yank in Ermine
1955
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as Boone
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Age: 42
The Time of His Life
1955
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as Edgar
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Age: 42
Lease of Life
1954
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as Solicitor
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Age: 42
The Crowded Day
1954
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as Mr. Christopher
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Age: 42
The Belles of St Trinian's
1954
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as Manton Bassett
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Age: 42
Hobson's Choice
1954
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as Albert Prosser
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Age: 42
Doctor in the House
1954
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as Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
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Age: 42
Small Town Story
1953
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as Marsh
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Age: 41
Background
1953
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as David Wallace
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Age: 41
The Intruder
1953
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as School Master
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Age: 41
Blood Orange
1953
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as Detective Inspector MacLeod
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Age: 41
Park Plaza 605
1953
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as Theodore Feather
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Age: 41
Innocents in Paris
1953
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as Wilkinson
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Age: 41
Colonel March Investigates
1953
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as Cabot
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Age: 41
The Final Test
1953
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as Cricket Fan
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Age: 41
Appointment in London
1953
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as Pascal
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Age: 40
Top of the Form
1953
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as Willoughby-Gore
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Age: 40
The Clouded Yellow
1950
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as Employment Agent
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Age: 38
The Happiest Days of Your Life
1950
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as Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
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Age: 38