Richard Wattis

Acting

Biography

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.

Filmography Movies

Acting

MOVIE

The Man Who Knew Too Much

7.4(1.6K)

An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.

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The Man Who Knew Too Much

Assistant Manager

MOVIE

Nearly a Nasty Accident

7.0(0.0K)

The RAF Group Captain has a hard job to restrain the aircraft-man from tinkering with everything he can get his hands on

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Nearly a Nasty Accident

Wagstaffe

MOVIE

The Importance of Being Earnest

7.2(0.1K)

Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England use the same pseudonym ('Ernest') on the sly, which is fine until they both fall in love with women using that name, which leads to a comedy of mistaken identities.

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The Importance of Being Earnest

Seton

MOVIE

The Prince and the Showgirl

6.4(0.2K)

An American showgirl becomes entangled in political intrigue when the Prince Regent of a foreign country attempts to seduce her.

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The Prince and the Showgirl

Northbrook

MOVIE

Ten Seconds to Hell

6.2(0.0K)

Two rivals from a German bomb squad are left to deactivate duds in postwar Berlin.

Carry On Spying

6.4(0.1K)

Carry On favourite Barbara Windsor makes her debut in this outrageous send-up of the James Bond movies. Fearless agent Desmond Simpkins and Charlie Bind, aided and abetted by the comely Agent Honeybutt and Agent Crump, battle against the evil powers of international bad guys STENCH and their three cronies.

Confessions of a Window Cleaner

5.0(0.0K)

Young Timmy starts as a window cleaner in the little company of his brother. Soon he learns that some female customers expect additional service. Young and curious as he is, he reluctantly accepts the juicy duty. However his heart belongs to Liz, who demands the highest commitment until she lets him go all the way.

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Confessions of a Window Cleaner

Mr. Prendergast

MOVIE

Colonel March Investigates

6.3(0.0K)

This is a feature-length compilation of three short episodes taken from a TV series called 'Colonel March of Scotland Yard' (1954-56, 26 episodes) starring Boris Karloff as Colonel March, head of Scotland Yard's Department D.3, otherwise known as The Bureau of Queer Complaints.

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Colonel March Investigates

Cabot

MOVIE

The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery

6.2(0.0K)

The all-girl school foil an attempt by train robbers to recover £2.5 million hidden in their school.

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The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery

Manton Bassett

MOVIE

Operation Crossbow

6.7(0.1K)

Allied agents infiltrate the Nazi rocket complex at Peenemunde in order to obtain their secrets and sabotage the plant. The film alternates between German developments of the V-1 missile and V-2 rocket (with a German cast speaking their own language) and discovery by British Intelligence of the weapon.

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Operation Crossbow

Sir Charles Sims