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.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

7.5

The Longest Day

7.6

Casino Royale

5.3

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

6.8

Kind Hearts and Coronets

7.7

Bunny Lake Is Missing

7.2

The Prisoner

7.8

The Prince and the Showgirl

6.3

The Avengers

7.7

Hobson's Choice

7.4

The Importance of Being Earnest

7.2

Operation Crossbow

6.7

The Abominable Snowman

6.2

The Man Who Never Was

7.0

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

6.7

Carry On Spying

6.4

The V.I.P.s

6.2

The Belles of St. Trinian's

6.3

The Colditz Story

6.6

The Alphabet Murders

5.8

The Happiest Days of Your Life

6.4

The Green Man

7.0

Doctor in the House

6.4

Ten Seconds to Hell

6.1

Confessions of a Window Cleaner

4.8

Blue Murder at St. Trinian's

6.4

The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery

5.9

Libel

7.0

The Goodies

7.5

Barnacle Bill

6.4

Wonderwall

5.2

Mother Riley Meets the Vampire

4.2

The Iron Petticoat

5.8

The Liquidator

6.2

Bon Voyage!

5.3

The Clouded Yellow

6.1

Dentist on the Job

6.2

I Am a Camera

6.0

Innocents in Paris

5.1

Appointment in London

6.2

The Ballad of Tam Lin

5.4

Left Right and Centre

6.0

Follow a Star

6.1

Simon and Laura

5.6

Come Fly with Me

4.4

A Yank at Oxford

6.7

Very Important Person

5.7

Take Me High

4.9

Lady Godiva Rides Again

5.8

You Must Be Joking

5.6

The Crowded Day

5.4

Appointment with Venus

5.1

Play It Cool

5.9

Lease of Life

7.4

Eyewitness

6.7

Colonel March of Scotland Yard

7.3

Hancock's Half Hour

7.5

I Thank a Fool

5.5

An Alligator Named Daisy

6.2

Venus fra Vestø

5.6

Small Town Story

5.2

The Intruder

7.2

The Final Test

6.7

Sex and the Other Woman

5.7

A Touch of the Sun

5.6

The Captain's Table

5.8

Your Money or Your Wife

4.0

Games That Lovers Play

4.2

Second Fiddle

5.6

The Ugly Duckling

5.8

Blood Orange

5.3

Park Plaza 605

5.2

Penny Princess

6.4

Sykes

6.4

The Battle of the Villa Fiorita

4.8

The Time of His Life

6.5

The Chiltern Hundreds

5.0

High Flight

5.8

Derby Day

6.5

As Long as They're Happy

7.7

It's a Wonderful World

5.3

Helter Skelter

6.2

Marry Me

4.3

Nearly a Nasty Accident

7.0

Colonel March Investigates

6.0

Made in Heaven

4.0

That's Your Funeral

1.5

A Yank in Ermine

4.0

Jumping for Joy

6.5

Sykes and a...

6.0

Top Secret

6.0

Song of Paris

5.5

Diamonds on Wheels

8.0

Up Jumped a Swagman

4.0

Top of the Form

5.0

Egghead's Robot

3.0

Background

6.0

The Silken Affair

1.0

Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers

0.0

Too Close for Comfort

0.0

The Bargain

0.0

The Troublesome Double

0.0

Follow That Horse!

0.0

Aladdin

0.0

The Liberace Show

0.0

Coppers End

0.0