Richard Wattis: Difference between revisions

Richard Cameron Wattis (25 February 1912 — 1 February 1975), was a British character actor.

He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham and Bromsgrove School, he then worked for the family electrical engineering firm before becoming a professional actor. After his debut at Croydon Repertory Theatre he made many stage appearances in the West End. His first appearance in a film was A Yank at Oxford in 1938, but war service interrupted his career as an actor. Wattis served as a Second Lieutenant with the Arms Section of Special Operations Executive at Station VI during World War II.^{[citation needed]}

He is best known for his appearances in British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s, including in 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", who is a civil servant in the Ministry of Education. He wore thick-rimmed round spectacles and was often seen frowning and expressing indignation at the outrageous behaviour of other characters.

Other films included Hay Fever, 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 even The Longest Day, among many others.

Richard Wattis also appeared on television, including a long-running role opposite Eric Sykes and Hattie Jacques in Sykes as their next-door neighbour, and appearances in Danger Man, The Prisoner, The Goodies, Hancock's Half Hour and Father, Dear Father. In 1957-1958, he appeared as Peter Jamison in three episodes of an American sitcom filmed in England, Dick and the Duchess, starring Patrick O'Neal and Hazel Court.

He was a gay man^[1][2] in an era when this was a taboo subject. He died of a heart attack while visiting a restaurant.

• A Yank at Oxford (1938)
• Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
• The Chiltern Hundreds (1949)
• The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)
• The Clouded Yellow (1950)
• The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
• Appointment with Venus (1951)
• Lady Godiva Rides Again (1951)
• The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)
• Appointment in London (1952)
• Doctor in the House (1954)
• Hobson's Choice (1954)
• The Belles of St Trinian's (1954)
• A Yank in Ermine (1955)
• The Colditz Story (1955)
• The Man Who Never Was (1956)
• The Iron Petticoat (1956)
• Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957)
• The Inn of the Sixth Happiness (1958)
• Follow a Star (1959)
• Very Important Person (1961)
• Dentist on the Job (1961)
• Nearly a Nasty Accident (1961)
• The V.I.P.s (1963)
• Carry On Spying (1964)
• You Must Be Joking! (1965)
• The Alphabet Murders (1965)
• The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966)
• The Troublesome Double (1967)
• Casino Royale (1967)
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
• Monte Carlo or Bust! (1969)
• Games That Lovers Play (1970)
• That's Your Funeral (1972)
• Take Me High (1973)
• Diamonds on Wheels (1974)
• Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974)

• Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
• Richard Wattis at Find a Grave
• Richard Wattis - The New York Times
• Richard Wattis page - Cult TV
• Biography

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