1912-02-25 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.
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Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers | Self (archive material) | 1981-12-10 |
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Confessions of a Window Cleaner | Carole's Father | 1974-08-16 |
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Aladdin | Emperor Nanki | 1974-12-24 |
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Take Me High | Sir Charles Furness | 1973-12-07 |
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Diamonds on Wheels | Sir Hilary Stanton | 1973-08-19 |
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That's Your Funeral | Simmonds | 1972-12-01 |
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Sex and the Other Woman | Presenter | 1972-12-30 |
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Games That Lovers Play | Mr. Lothran | 1971-01-25 |
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Too Close for Comfort | Narrator | 1971-01-01 |
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The Ballad of Tam Lin | Elroy | 1970-12-01 |
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Egghead's Robot | 1970-01-01 | |
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Wonderwall | Perkins | 1968-05-17 |
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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited) | 1968-12-17 |
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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | Secretary at Sweet Factory (Uncredited) | 1968-12-17 |
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The Troublesome Double | Mr. Wentworth | 1967-01-01 |
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Casino Royale | British Army Officer | 1967-04-13 |
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The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery | Manton Bassett | 1966-03-11 |
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The Bargain | Narrator | 1965-01-01 |
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Up Jumped a Swagman | Lever, Music Publisher | 1965-12-21 |
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The Alphabet Murders | Wolf | 1965-12-26 |
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The Liquidator | Flying Instructor | 1965-11-01 |
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You Must Be Joking | Parkins | 1965-08-03 |
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The Battle of the Villa Fiorita | Travel Agent | 1965-05-26 |
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Bunny Lake Is Missing | Shipping Clerk | 1965-10-03 |
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Operation Crossbow | Sir Charles Sims | 1965-04-01 |
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Carry On Spying | Cobley | 1964-06-01 |
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The V.I.P.s | Sanders | 1963-09-01 |
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Come Fly with Me | Oliver Garson | 1963-03-27 |
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Play It Cool | Nervous Man | 1962-03-01 |
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Venus fra Vestø | 1962-12-21 | |
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The Longest Day | British Paratrooper | 1962-09-25 |
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Bon Voyage! | Party Guest | 1962-05-17 |
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I Thank a Fool | Ebblington | 1962-09-14 |
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Nearly a Nasty Accident | Wagstaffe | 1961-05-01 |
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Dentist on the Job | Macreedy | 1961-06-01 |
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Very Important Person | Woodcock, Entertainments Officer | 1961-04-24 |
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Follow That Horse! | 1960-07-11 | |
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Your Money or Your Wife | Hubert Fry | 1960-03-01 |
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Ten Seconds to Hell | Major Haven | 1959-04-23 |
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Follow a Star | Dr. W. Chatterway | 1959-01-01 |
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The Ugly Duckling | Barclay | 1959-09-09 |
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Left Right and Centre | Harding-Pratt | 1959-06-23 |
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Libel | The Judge | 1959-10-23 |
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The Captain's Table | Prittlewell | 1959-01-06 |
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The Inn of the Sixth Happiness | Mr. Murfin | 1958-12-11 |
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Second Fiddle | Bill Turner | 1957-06-10 |
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High Flight | Wilson | 1957-09-17 |
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Blue Murder at St. Trinian's | Manton Bassett | 1957-12-01 |
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The Abominable Snowman | Dr. Peter Fox | 1957-08-26 |
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The Prince and the Showgirl | Northbrook | 1957-06-13 |
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Barnacle Bill | Registrar of Shipping | 1957-12-17 |
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The Man Who Never Was | Shop Assistant | 1956-04-03 |
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Jumping for Joy | Carruthers | 1956-01-01 |
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The Silken Affair | Worthington | 1956-10-02 |
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Eyewitness | Anaesthetist | 1956-08-14 |
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The Green Man | Doctor | 1956-12-21 |
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The Man Who Knew Too Much | Assistant Manager | 1956-05-16 |
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It's a Wonderful World | Harold | 1956-08-28 |
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The Iron Petticoat | Lingerie Clerk | 1956-09-01 |
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A Touch of the Sun | Purchase | 1956-10-01 |
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An Alligator Named Daisy | Hoskins | 1955-12-13 |
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A Yank in Ermine | Boone | 1955-01-01 |
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I Am a Camera | Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited) | 1955-07-21 |
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The Colditz Story | Richard Gordon | 1955-01-25 |
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The Time of His Life | Edgar | 1955-01-01 |
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Simon and Laura | Controller of Television Drama | 1955-11-02 |
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As Long as They're Happy | Hippodrome Stage Manager | 1955-03-15 |
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Lease of Life | Solicitor | 1954-10-18 |
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The Crowded Day | Mr. Christopher | 1954-10-01 |
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The Belles of St. Trinian's | Manton Bassett | 1954-09-28 |
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Doctor in the House | Medical Book Salesman (uncredited) | 1954-03-23 |
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Hobson's Choice | Albert Prosser | 1954-04-19 |
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The Intruder | School Master | 1953-10-18 |
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Park Plaza 605 | Theodore Feather | 1953-09-11 |
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The Final Test | Cricket Fan | 1953-04-09 |
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Top of the Form | Willoughby-Gore | 1953-02-01 |
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Blood Orange | Detective Inspector MacLeod | 1953-10-10 |
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Background | David Wallace | 1953-11-09 |
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Small Town Story | Marsh | 1953-12-21 |
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Colonel March Investigates | Cabot | 1953-07-01 |
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Innocents in Paris | Wilkinson | 1953-07-22 |
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Appointment in London | Pascal | 1953-02-17 |
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Song of Paris | Carter | 1952-02-10 |
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Top Secret | Barnes | 1952-11-10 |
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Penny Princess | Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited) | 1952-03-24 |
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The Importance of Being Earnest | Seton | 1952-06-02 |
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Mother Riley Meets the Vampire | P.C. Freddie | 1952-07-11 |
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Made in Heaven | The vicar | 1952-11-01 |
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Derby Day | Editor | 1952-06-09 |
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Appointment with Venus | Carruthers - Higher Executive | 1951-10-08 |
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Lady Godiva Rides Again | Casting Director | 1951-10-25 |
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The Clouded Yellow | Employment Agent | 1950-11-21 |
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The Happiest Days of Your Life | Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne | 1950-03-08 |
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Kind Hearts and Coronets | Defence Counsel (uncredited) | 1949-06-21 |
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Marry Me | Minor Role (uncredited) | 1949-06-07 |
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Helter Skelter | Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited) | 1949-08-07 |
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The Chiltern Hundreds | Vicar (uncredited) | 1949-09-27 |
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A Yank at Oxford | Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited) | 1938-02-18 |
