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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The Prince, The Showgirl and Me | 2004-07-09 | |
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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 | Mr. Prendergast | 1974-08-16 |
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Aladdin | Emperor Nanki | 1974-12-24 |
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Diamonds on Wheels | Sir Hilary Stanton | 1973-08-19 |
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Take Me High | Sir Charles Furness | 1973-12-07 |
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Sex and the Other Woman | Presenter | 1972-12-30 |
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That's Your Funeral | Simmonds | 1972-12-01 |
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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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Egghead's Robot | 1970-01-01 | |
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The Ballad of Tam Lin | Elroy | 1970-12-01 |
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Wonderwall | Perkins | 1969-01-12 |
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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 | 1967-04-18 |
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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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Bunny Lake Is Missing | Clerk in Shipping Office | 1965-10-03 |
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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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Up Jumped a Swagman | Lever, Music Publisher | 1965-12-21 |
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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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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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Play It Cool | Nervous Man | 1962-07-22 |
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Venus fra Vestø | 1962-12-21 | |
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Very Important Person | Entertainments Officer Woodcock | 1961-04-24 |
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Dentist on the Job | Macreedy | 1961-06-01 |
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Nearly a Nasty Accident | Wagstaffe | 1961-05-01 |
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Your Money or Your Wife | Hubert Fry | 1960-03-01 |
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Follow That Horse! | 1960-07-11 | |
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Follow a Star | Dr. W. Chatterway | 1959-01-01 |
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Libel | The Judge | 1959-10-23 |
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The Ugly Duckling | Barclay | 1959-09-09 |
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Ten Seconds to Hell | Major Haven | 1959-04-23 |
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Left Right and Centre | Harding-Pratt | 1959-06-23 |
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The Captain's Table | Chief Purser Herbert Prittlewell | 1959-01-06 |
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The Inn of the Sixth Happiness | Mr. Murfin | 1958-11-23 |
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Blue Murder at St. Trinian's | Manton Bassett | 1957-12-10 |
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Barnacle Bill | Registrar of Shipping | 1957-12-17 |
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Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1 | Hotelier | 1957-12-16 |
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High Flight | Wilson | 1957-09-17 |
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The Prince and the Showgirl | Northbrook | 1957-06-13 |
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Second Fiddle | Bill Turner | 1957-06-10 |
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The Abominable Snowman | Dr. Peter Fox | 1957-08-26 |
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The Green Man | Doctor | 1956-12-21 |
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The Silken Affair | Worthington | 1956-10-02 |
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It's a Wonderful World | Harold | 1956-08-28 |
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Jumping for Joy | Carruthers | 1956-01-01 |
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Eyewitness | Anaesthetist | 1956-08-14 |
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The Man Who Knew Too Much | Assistant Manager | 1956-05-16 |
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A Touch of the Sun | Purchase | 1956-10-01 |
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The Man Who Never Was | Shop Assistant | 1956-04-03 |
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The Iron Petticoat | Lingerie Clerk | 1956-09-01 |
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I Am a Camera | Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited) | 1955-07-21 |
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A Yank in Ermine | Boone | 1955-01-01 |
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The Colditz Story | Richard Gordon | 1955-01-25 |
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An Alligator Named Daisy | Hoskins | 1955-12-13 |
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The Time of His Life | Edgar | 1955-01-01 |
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As Long as They're Happy | Hippodrome Stage Manager | 1955-03-15 |
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Simon and Laura | Controller of Television Drama | 1955-11-02 |
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Hobson's Choice | Albert Prosser | 1954-04-19 |
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The Crowded Day | Mr. Christopher | 1954-10-01 |
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Doctor in the House | Medical Book Salesman (uncredited) | 1954-03-23 |
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The Belles of St Trinian's | Manton Bassett | 1954-09-28 |
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Lease of Life | Solicitor | 1954-10-18 |
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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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Innocents in Paris | Wilkinson | 1953-07-22 |
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Top of the Form | Willoughby-Gore | 1953-02-01 |
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Colonel March Investigates | Cabot | 1953-07-01 |
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Blood Orange | Detective Inspector MacLeod | 1953-10-10 |
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Appointment in London | Pascal | 1953-02-17 |
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Small Town Story | Marsh | 1953-12-21 |
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Background | David Wallace | 1953-11-09 |
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Song of Paris | Carter | 1952-02-10 |
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Penny Princess | Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited) | 1952-03-24 |
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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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The Importance of Being Earnest | Seton | 1952-06-02 |
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Top Secret | Barnes | 1952-11-10 |
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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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The Chiltern Hundreds | Vicar (uncredited) | 1949-09-27 |
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Helter Skelter | Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited) | 1949-08-07 |
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Marry Me | Minor Role (uncredited) | 1949-06-07 |
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A Yank at Oxford | Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited) | 1938-02-18 |
