Richard Wattis | |
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![]() Wattis circa 1955 | |
Born | Richard Cameron Wattis 25 February 1912 Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England |
Died | 1 February 1975 Kensington, London, England | (aged 62)
Occupation | Actor |
Richard Cameron Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was an English actor, co-starring in many popular British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
Early life
[edit]Richard Cameron Wattis was born on 25 February 1912 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, the elder of two sons born to Cameron Tom Wattis and Margaret Janet, née Preston.[citation needed] He attended King Edward's School and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the electrical engineering firm William Sanders & Co (Wednesbury) Ltd.[citation needed] His uncle, William Preston (1874–1941), was the managing director and was the Conservative MP for Walsall from 1924 to 1929.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]After leaving the family business, Wattis became an actor.[citation needed] 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).[citation needed]
War service interrupted his career as an actor.[citation needed] He served as a second lieutenant in the Small Arms Section of Special Operations Executive at Station VI during the Second World War (James Bond author Ian Fleming worked in the same section).[2]
Wattis 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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] To American audiences, Wattis is probably best known for his performance as the British civil servant Northbrook in The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).[citation needed] He broke from this typecasting in his later films, such as his starring role in Games That Lovers Play.[citation needed]
Wattis's other films included Hobson's Choice, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Carry On Spying,[3] The Colditz Story, Dentist on the Job, Very Important Person, The Happiest Days of Your Life, and The Longest Day.[citation needed] Operation Crossbow as Sir Charles Sims. He also appeared on television, including a long-running role in Sykes and as a storyteller on the BBC children's programme Jackanory, narrating in 14 episodes between 1971 and 1972.[citation needed] Other television credits include appearances in Danger Man, The Prisoner, The Goodies, Hancock's Half Hour, and Father, Dear Father.[3] From 1957 to 1958, he appeared as Peter Jamison in three episodes of the American sitcom Dick and the Duchess.[citation needed]
Personal life and death
[edit]On 1 February 1975, Wattis suffered a heart attack while dining at Berwick's Restaurant in Walton Street, London.[citation needed] He was taken to hospital, but was dead on arrival. He was 62 years old. A memorial service was held for him at St Paul's, Covent Garden, the "Actor's Church", and a plaque near his grave.[4]
In 1999, twenty-four years after Wattis' death, writer Dan Rebellato claimed Wattis was homosexual.[5]
In fiction
[edit]Wattis was played by Richard Clifford in the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn, which depicts the making of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl.[6]
Selected filmography
[edit]- A Yank at Oxford (1938) as Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)
- Marry Me! (1949) as Minor Role (uncredited)
- Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) as Defence Counsel (uncredited)
- Helter Skelter (1949) as Compere of Nick Nack show (uncredited)
- The Chiltern Hundreds (1949) as Vicar (uncredited)
- Your Witness (1950) as Minor Role (uncredited)
- The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) as Arnold Billings
- The Clouded Yellow (1950) as Employment Agent
- The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) as Opposition MP (uncredited)
- Appointment with Venus (1951) as Carruthers – Higher Executive
- Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951) as Otto Mann (casting director)
- The Happy Family (1952) as M.P.
- Song of Paris (1952) as Carter
- Stolen Face (1952) as Mr. Wentworth, Store Manager
- The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) as Seton
- Derby Day (1952) as Editor (uncredited)
- Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952) as P.C. Freddie
- Penny Princess (1952) as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
- Made in Heaven (1952) as The Vicar, Hayworth Honeycroft
- Top Secret (1952) as Barnes
- Top of the Form (1953) as Willoughby-Gore
- Appointment in London (1953) as Pascal
- Innocents in Paris (1953) as Secretary
- Colonel March Investigates (1953) as Cabot
- The Final Test (1953) as Cricket Fan in the Stand. (uncredited)
- Park Plaza 605 (1953) as Theodore Feather
- Blood Orange (1953) as Detective Inspector MacLeod
- The Intruder (1953) as School Master
- Background (1953) as David Wallace
- Small Town Story (1953) as Marsh (uncredited)
- Doctor in the House (1954) as Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
- Hobson's Choice (1954) as Albert Prosser
- The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954) as Manton Bassett
- The Crowded Day (1954) as Mr. Christopher
- Lease of Life (1954) as The Solicitor
- The Colditz Story (1955) as Richard Gordon
- As Long as They're Happy (1955) as Theatre Stage Manager (uncredited)
- See How They Run (1955) as Rev. Lionel Toop
- I Am a Camera (1955) as Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
- Escapade (1955) as Peace committee member (uncredited)
- Simon and Laura (1955) as Controller of Television Drama ('CT')
- An Alligator Named Daisy (1955) as Hoskins
- The Time of His Life (1955) as John Edgar
- A Yank in Ermine (1955) as Boone
- Jumping for Joy (1956) as Carruthers
- The Man Who Never Was (1956) as Shop Assistant
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) as Assistant Manager
- The Iron Petticoat (1956) as Lingerie Clerk
- Eyewitness (1956) as Anesthetist
- It's a Wonderful World (1956) as Harold
- The Green Man (1956) as Doctor
- A Touch of the Sun (1956) as Purchase
- Death in the Dressing Room (1956 episode of Colonel March of Scotland Yard) as D. W. Cabot
- The Silken Affair (1956 as Worthington
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) as Inspector Hunter of Scotland Yard (uncredited)
- The Little Hut (1957) as Official
- Second Fiddle (1957) as Bill Turner
- The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) as Northbrook
- The Abominable Snowman (1957) as Peter Fox
- High Flight (1957) as Chauffeur Wilson
- Barnacle Bill (1957) as Registrar of Shipping
- Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957) as Manton Bassett
- The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958) as Mr. Murfin
- The Captain's Table (1959) as Prittlewell
- Ten Seconds to Hell (1959) as Major Haven
- Left Right and Centre (1959) as Harding-Pratt
- The Ugly Duckling (1959) as Barclay
- Libel (1959) as The Judge
- Follow a Star (1959) as Dr. Chatterway
- Your Money or Your Wife (1960) as Hubert Fry
- Follow That Horse! (1960) as Hugh Porlock
- Very Important Person (1961) as Woodcock, Entertainments Officer
- Nearly a Nasty Accident (1961) as Wagstaffe
- Dentist on the Job (1961) as Macreedy
- Play It Cool (1962) as Nervous Man
- Bon Voyage! (1962) as Party guest
- I Thank a Fool (1962) as Ebblington
- The Longest Day (1962) as Maj. Whaley, British Paratrooper
- Venus fra Vestø (1962) as Englænder
- Come Fly with Me (1963) as Oliver Garson
- The V.I.P.s (1963) as Sanders
- Carry On Spying (1964) as Cobley
- The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965) as Jeweler
- Operation Crossbow (1965) as Sir Charles Sims
- The Battle of the Villa Fiorita (1965) as Travel Agent
- The Alphabet Murders (1965) as Wolf
- You Must Be Joking! (1965) as Parkins
- Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) as Clerk in Shipping Office
- The Liquidator (1965) as Flying Instructor
- Up Jumped a Swagman (1965) as Lever, Music Publisher
- The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) as Manton Bassett
- Casino Royale (1967) as British Army Officer
- Wonderwall (1968) as Perkins
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) as Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
- Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969) as Golf Club Secretary
- Tam-Lin (1970) as Elroy
- Games That Lovers Play (1971) as Mr. Lothran
- Sex and the Other Woman (1972) as Presenter
- That's Your Funeral (1972) as Simmonds
- Diamonds on Wheels (1974) as Sir Hilary Stanton
- Take Me High (1974) as Sir Charles Furness
- Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974) as Carole's Father
References
[edit]- ^ "Richard Wattis | BFI". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ^ "Secret war role of popular and talented member of drama society". Harrogate Advertiser. 9 July 2007. Archived from the original on 26 February 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ a b Stevens, Christopher (2010). Born Brilliant: The Life Of Kenneth Williams. John Murray. ISBN 978-1-84854-195-5.
- ^ "Obituaries". Television Heaven. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ Rebellato, Dan (1999). 1956 and All That: The Making of Modern British Drama. London: Routledge. ISBN 9780415189385.
- ^ "BFI Filmography". British Film Institute.