Known For
Acting
Known Credits
111
Gender
Male
Birthday
February 25, 1912 (114 years old)
Place of Birth
Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, UK
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.
| 2004 | The Prince, The Showgirl and Meas | |
| 1981 | Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupersas Self (archive material) | |
| 1974 | Aladdinas Emperor Nanki | |
| 1974 | Confessions of a Window Cleaneras Mr. Prendergast | |
| 1973 | Take Me Highas Sir Charles Furness | |
| 1973 | Diamonds on Wheelsas Sir Hilary Stanton | |
| 1973 | Centre Playas Arthur | |
| 1972 | Sex and the Other Womanas Presenter | |
| 1972 | That's Your Funeralas Simmonds | |
| 1972 | Sykesas Charles Brown | |
| 1971 | Coppers Endas PC Eddie Edwards | |
| 1971 | Games That Lovers Playas Mr. Lothran | |
| 1971 | Too Close for Comfortas Narrator | |
| 1970 | The Ballad of Tam Linas Elroy | |
| 1970 | The Goodiesas TV Show Host | |
| 1970 | Egghead's Robotas | |
| 1969 | Wonderwallas Perkins | |
| 1968 | Chitty Chitty Bang Bangas Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited) | |
| 1967 | The Prisoneras Fotheringay | |
| 1967 | Casino Royaleas British Army Officer | |
| 1967 | The Troublesome Doubleas Mr. Wentworth | |
| 1966 | The Great St Trinian's Train Robberyas Manton Bassett | |
| 1965 | The Alphabet Murdersas Wolf | |
| 1965 | Up Jumped a Swagmanas Lever, Music Publisher | |
| 1965 | The Liquidatoras Flying Instructor | |
| 1965 | Bunny Lake Is Missingas Clerk in Shipping Office | |
| 1965 | You Must Be Jokingas Parkins | |
| 1965 | The Battle of the Villa Fioritaas Travel Agent | |
| 1965 | Operation Crossbowas Sir Charles Sims | |
| 1965 | The Bargainas Narrator | |
| 1964 | Carry On Spyingas Cobley | |
| 1963 | The V.I.P.sas Sanders | |
| 1963 | Come Fly with Meas Oliver Garson | |
| 1962 | Venus fra Vestøas | |
| 1962 | The Longest Dayas British Paratrooper | |
| 1962 | I Thank a Foolas Ebblington | |
| 1962 | Play It Coolas Nervous Man | |
| 1962 | Bon Voyage!as Party Guest | |
| 1961 | Dentist on the Jobas Macreedy | |
| 1961 | Nearly a Nasty Accidentas Wagstaffe | |
| 1961 | Very Important Personas Entertainments Officer Woodcock | |
| 1961 | The Avengersas Clarke | |
| 1960 | The Dickie Henderson Showas | |
| 1960 | Danger Manas Hardy | |
| 1960 | Follow That Horse!as | |
| 1960 | Your Money or Your Wifeas Hubert Fry | |
| 1960 | Sykes and a...as | |
| 1959 | Libelas The Judge | |
| 1959 | The Ugly Ducklingas Barclay | |
| 1959 | Left Right and Centreas Harding-Pratt | |
| 1959 | Ten Seconds to Hellas Major Haven | |
| 1959 | The Captain's Tableas Chief Purser Herbert Prittlewell | |
| 1959 | Follow a Staras Dr. W. Chatterway | |
| 1958 | The Inn of the Sixth Happinessas Mr. Murfin | |
| 1957 | Barnacle Billas Registrar of Shipping | |
| 1957 | Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1as Hotelier | |
| 1957 | Blue Murder at St. Trinian'sas Manton Bassett | |
| 1957 | High Flightas Wilson | |
| 1957 | The Abominable Snowmanas Dr. Peter Fox | |
| 1957 | The Prince and the Showgirlas Northbrook | |
| 1957 | Second Fiddleas Bill Turner | |
| 1956 | The Green Manas Doctor | |
| 1956 | The Silken Affairas Worthington | |
| 1956 | A Touch of the Sunas Purchase | |
| 1956 | The Iron Petticoatas Lingerie Clerk | |
| 1956 | It's a Wonderful Worldas Harold | |
| 1956 | Eyewitnessas Anaesthetist | |
| 1956 | Hancock's Half Houras | |
| 1956 | The Man Who Knew Too Muchas Assistant Manager | |
| 1956 | The Man Who Never Wasas Shop Assistant | |
| 1956 | Colonel March of Scotland Yardas Arthur Cabot | |
| 1956 | Jumping for Joyas Carruthers | |
| 1955 | An Alligator Named Daisyas Hoskins | |
| 1955 | Simon and Lauraas Controller of Television Drama | |
| 1955 | I Am a Cameraas Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited) | |
| 1955 | As Long as They're Happyas Hippodrome Stage Manager | |
| 1955 | The Colditz Storyas Richard Gordon | |
| 1955 | The Time of His Lifeas Edgar | |
| 1955 | A Yank in Ermineas Boone | |
| 1954 | Lease of Lifeas Solicitor | |
| 1954 | The Crowded Dayas Mr. Christopher | |
| 1954 | The Belles of St Trinian'sas Manton Bassett | |
| 1954 | Hobson's Choiceas Albert Prosser | |
| 1954 | Doctor in the Houseas Medical Book Salesman (uncredited) | |
| 1953 | Small Town Storyas Marsh | |
| 1953 | Backgroundas David Wallace | |
| 1953 | The Intruderas School Master | |
| 1953 | Blood Orangeas Detective Inspector MacLeod | |
| 1953 | Park Plaza 605as Theodore Feather | |
| 1953 | Innocents in Parisas Wilkinson | |
| 1953 | Colonel March Investigatesas Cabot | |
| 1953 | The Final Testas Cricket Fan | |
| 1953 | Appointment in Londonas Pascal | |
| 1953 | Top of the Formas Willoughby-Gore | |
| 1952 | Top Secretas Barnes | |
| 1952 | Made in Heavenas The vicar | |
| 1952 | Mother Riley Meets the Vampireas P.C. Freddie | |
| 1952 | Derby Dayas Editor | |
| 1952 | The Importance of Being Earnestas Seton | |
| 1952 | The Liberace Showas | |
| 1952 | Penny Princessas Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited) | |
| 1952 | Bachelor in Parisas Carter | |
| 1951 | Lady Godiva Rides Againas Casting Director | |
| 1951 | Appointment with Venusas Carruthers - Higher Executive | |
| 1950 | The Clouded Yellowas Employment Agent | |
| 1950 | The Happiest Days of Your Lifeas Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne | |
| 1949 | The Chiltern Hundredsas Vicar (uncredited) | |
| 1949 | Helter Skelteras Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited) | |
| 1949 | Kind Hearts and Coronetsas Defence Counsel (uncredited) | |
| 1949 | Marry Meas Minor Role (uncredited) | |
| 1938 | A Yank at Oxfordas Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited) |