Richard Wattis
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 (111 Appearances)
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers
Aladdin
Confessions of a Window Cleaner
Take Me High
Diamonds on Wheels
Centre Play
Sex and the Other Woman
That's Your Funeral
Sykes
Coppers End
Games That Lovers Play
Too Close for Comfort
The Ballad of Tam Lin
The Goodies
Egghead's Robot
Wonderwall
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The Prisoner
Casino Royale
The Troublesome Double
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
The Alphabet Murders
Up Jumped a Swagman
The Liquidator
Bunny Lake Is Missing
You Must Be Joking
The Battle of the Villa Fiorita
Operation Crossbow
The Bargain
Carry On Spying
The V.I.P.s
Come Fly with Me
Venus fra Vestø
The Longest Day
I Thank a Fool
Play It Cool
Bon Voyage!
Dentist on the Job
Nearly a Nasty Accident
Very Important Person
The Avengers
The Dickie Henderson Show
Danger Man
Follow That Horse!
Your Money or Your Wife
Sykes and a...
Libel
The Ugly Duckling
Left Right and Centre
Ten Seconds to Hell
The Captain's Table
Follow a Star
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Barnacle Bill
Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1
Blue Murder at St Trinian's
High Flight
The Abominable Snowman
The Prince and the Showgirl
Second Fiddle
The Green Man
The Silken Affair
A Touch of the Sun
The Iron Petticoat
It's a Wonderful World
Eyewitness
Hancock's Half Hour
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Never Was
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
Jumping for Joy
An Alligator Named Daisy
Simon and Laura
I Am a Camera
As Long as They're Happy
The Colditz Story
A Yank in Ermine
The Time of His Life
Lease of Life
The Crowded Day
The Belles of St Trinian's
Hobson's Choice
Doctor in the House
Small Town Story
Background
The Intruder
Blood Orange
Park Plaza 605
Innocents in Paris
Colonel March Investigates
The Final Test
Appointment in London
Top of the Form
Top Secret
Made in Heaven
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire
Derby Day
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Liberace Show
Penny Princess
Bachelor in Paris
Lady Godiva Rides Again
Appointment with Venus
The Clouded Yellow
The Happiest Days of Your Life
The Chiltern Hundreds
Helter Skelter
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Marry Me
A Yank at Oxford