Richard Wattis

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.

Early life

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. He attended King Edward's School and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the electrical engineering firm William Sanders & Co (Wednesbury) Ltd, the managing director being his maternal uncle, William Preston (1874–1941), who was also the Conservative MP for Walsall from 1924 to 1929.

Career

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).

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 the Second World War (James Bond author Ian Fleming worked in the same section).

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. 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, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Carry On Spying, From 1957 to 1958, he appeared as Peter Jamison in three episodes of the American sitcom Dick and the Duchess. He was the narrator in Sex and the Other Woman (1972).

Personal life and death

On 1 February 1975, Wattis suffered a heart attack while dining at Berwick's Restaurant in Walton Street, London. 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.

In 1999, twenty-four years after Wattis' death, it emerged that Wattis was gay.

In fiction 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.

Selected filmography

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