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Richard Wattis | |
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 Wattis circa 1955 | |
| Born | Richard Cameron Wattis 25 February 1912 Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 1 February 1975 (aged 62) Kensington, London, England |
| 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]
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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 ] [2]
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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). [3]
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 , [4] 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 . [4] From 1957 to 1958, he appeared as Peter Jamison in three episodes of the American sitcom Dick and the Duchess .[ citation needed ]
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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. [5]
In 1999, twenty-four years after Wattis' death, it emerged that Wattis was gay. [6]
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 . [7]
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