Richard Wattis

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

109

Gender

Male

Birthday

1912-02-25

Day of death

1975-02-01 (62 years old)

Place of Birth

Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK

Richard 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.

Known For

  • The Avengers

    The Avengers

  • Casino Royale

    Casino Royale

  • The Goodies

    The Goodies

  • Sykes

    Sykes

  • The Prisoner

    The Prisoner

  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    The Importance of Being Earnest

  • Hancock's Half Hour

    Hancock's Half Hour

  • Operation Crossbow

    Operation Crossbow

  • Eyewitness

    Eyewitness

  • A Yank at Oxford

    A Yank at Oxford

  • An Alligator Named Daisy

    An Alligator Named Daisy

  • The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

    The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

  • The Ugly Duckling

    The Ugly Duckling

  • Ten Seconds to Hell

    Ten Seconds to Hell

  • The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

    The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

  • Small Town Story

    Small Town Story

  • The Clouded Yellow

    The Clouded Yellow

  • The Longest Day

    The Longest Day

  • Song of Paris

    Song of Paris

  • Diamonds on Wheels

    Diamonds on Wheels

  • High Flight

    High Flight

  • Venus fra Vestø

    Venus fra Vestø

  • The Iron Petticoat

    The Iron Petticoat

  • Marry Me

    Marry Me

  • The Man Who Never Was

    The Man Who Never Was

  • Blue Murder at St. Trinian's

    Blue Murder at St. Trinian's

  • Innocents in Paris

    Innocents in Paris

  • The Man Who Knew Too Much

    The Man Who Knew Too Much

  • Sykes and a...

    Sykes and a...

  • The Colditz Story

    The Colditz Story

  • A Yank in Ermine

    A Yank in Ermine

  • Background

    Background

  • Blood Orange

    Blood Orange

  • Bunny Lake Is Missing

    Bunny Lake Is Missing

  • The Happiest Days of Your Life

    The Happiest Days of Your Life

  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

    Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

    Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

  • Colonel March of Scotland Yard

    Colonel March of Scotland Yard

  • Lease of Life

    Lease of Life

  • Bon Voyage!

    Bon Voyage!

  • Nearly a Nasty Accident

    Nearly a Nasty Accident

  • Park Plaza 605

    Park Plaza 605

  • The Green Man

    The Green Man

  • The Crowded Day

    The Crowded Day

  • I Thank a Fool

    I Thank a Fool

  • Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1

    Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1

  • Made in Heaven

    Made in Heaven

  • Jumping for Joy

    Jumping for Joy

  • Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers

    Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers

  • Hobson's Choice

    Hobson's Choice

  • The Troublesome Double

    The Troublesome Double

  • Doctor in the House

    Doctor in the House

  • Libel

    Libel

  • The Battle of the Villa Fiorita

    The Battle of the Villa Fiorita

  • Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

    Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

  • It's a Wonderful World

    It's a Wonderful World

  • Very Important Person

    Very Important Person

  • You Must Be Joking

    You Must Be Joking

  • Kind Hearts and Coronets

    Kind Hearts and Coronets

  • Barnacle Bill

    Barnacle Bill

  • The Bargain

    The Bargain

  • Follow a Star

    Follow a Star

  • Wonderwall

    Wonderwall

  • The Dickie Henderson Show

    The Dickie Henderson Show

  • Confessions of a Window Cleaner

    Confessions of a Window Cleaner

  • The Prince and the Showgirl

    The Prince and the Showgirl

  • The Time of His Life

    The Time of His Life

  • Simon and Laura

    Simon and Laura

  • The Ballad of Tam Lin

    The Ballad of Tam Lin

  • The Alphabet Murders

    The Alphabet Murders

  • Take Me High

    Take Me High

  • Follow That Horse!

    Follow That Horse!

  • Aladdin

    Aladdin

  • The Intruder

    The Intruder

  • I Am a Camera

    I Am a Camera

  • Second Fiddle

    Second Fiddle

  • Come Fly with Me

    Come Fly with Me

  • Penny Princess

    Penny Princess

  • Coppers End

    Coppers End

  • The Captain's Table

    The Captain's Table

  • Your Money or Your Wife

    Your Money or Your Wife

  • Appointment in London

    Appointment in London

  • As Long as They're Happy

    As Long as They're Happy

  • Carry On Spying

    Carry On Spying

  • Play It Cool

    Play It Cool

  • The Abominable Snowman

    The Abominable Snowman

  • Lady Godiva Rides Again

    Lady Godiva Rides Again

  • The V.I.P.s

    The V.I.P.s

  • Appointment with Venus

    Appointment with Venus

  • Top Secret

    Top Secret

  • Derby Day

    Derby Day

  • Colonel March Investigates

    Colonel March Investigates

  • Left Right and Centre

    Left Right and Centre

  • The Silken Affair

    The Silken Affair

  • Up Jumped a Swagman

    Up Jumped a Swagman

  • That's Your Funeral

    That's Your Funeral

  • The Liberace Show

    The Liberace Show

  • Helter Skelter

    Helter Skelter

  • The Belles of St. Trinian's

    The Belles of St. Trinian's

  • Sex and the Other Woman

    Sex and the Other Woman

  • Egghead's Robot

    Egghead's Robot

  • Games That Lovers Play

    Games That Lovers Play

  • The Liquidator

    The Liquidator

  • A Touch of the Sun

    A Touch of the Sun

  • Dentist on the Job

    Dentist on the Job

  • Top of the Form

    Top of the Form

  • Too Close for Comfort

    Too Close for Comfort

  • The Final Test

    The Final Test

  • The Chiltern Hundreds

    The Chiltern Hundreds