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