Richard Cameron Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was an English actor. 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

• 1974Aladdin — Emperor Nanki
• 1974Confessions of a Window Cleaner — Mr. Prendergast
• Centre Play — Arthur
• 1973Diamonds on Wheels — Sir Hilary Stanton
• 1973Take Me High — Sir Charles Furness
• 1972Sex and the Other Woman — Presenter
• Sykes — Charles Brown
• 1972That's Your Funeral — Simmonds
• Coppers End — PC Eddie Edwards
• 1971Games That Lovers Play — Mr. Lothran
• 1971Too Close for Comfort — Narrator
• 1970Egghead's Robot
• 1970The Ballad of Tam Lin — Elroy
• The Goodies — TV Show Host
• 1969Wonderwall — Perkins
• 1968Chitty Chitty Bang Bang — Secretary at Sweet Factory (uncredited)
• 1967Casino Royale — British Army Officer
• Misleading Cases — Mr Grout
• The Prisoner — Fotheringay
• 1967The Troublesome Double — Mr. Wentworth
• 1966The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery — Manton Bassett
• 1965Bunny Lake Is Missing — Clerk in Shipping Office
• 1965Operation Crossbow — Sir Charles Sims
• 1965The Alphabet Murders — Wolf
• 1965The Bargain — Narrator
• 1965The Battle of the Villa Fiorita — Travel Agent
• 1965The Liquidator — Flying Instructor
• 1965Up Jumped a Swagman — Lever, Music Publisher
• 1965You Must Be Joking — Parkins
• 1964Carry On Spying — Cobley
• 1963Come Fly with Me — Oliver Garson
• 1963The V.I.P.s — Sanders
• 1962Bon Voyage! — Party Guest
• 1962I Thank a Fool — Ebblington
• 1962Play It Cool — Nervous Man
• 1962The Longest Day — British Paratrooper
• 1962Venus fra Vestø
• 1961Dentist on the Job — Macreedy
• 1961Nearly a Nasty Accident — Wagstaffe
• The Avengers — Clarke
• 1961Very Important Person — Entertainments Officer Woodcock
• Danger Man — Hardy
• 1960Follow That Horse!
• Sykes and a...
• The Dickie Henderson Show
• 1960Your Money or Your Wife — Hubert Fry
• 1959Follow a Star — Dr. W. Chatterway
• 1959Left Right and Centre — Harding-Pratt
• 1959Libel — The Judge
• 1959Ten Seconds to Hell — Major Haven
• 1959The Captain's Table — Chief Purser Herbert Prittlewell
• 1959The Ugly Duckling — Barclay
• 1958The Inn of the Sixth Happiness — Mr. Murfin
• 1957Barnacle Bill — Registrar of Shipping
• 1957Blue Murder at St. Trinian's — Manton Bassett
• 1957Hancock's Half Hour: Volume 1 — Hotelier
• 1957High Flight — Wilson
• 1957Second Fiddle — Bill Turner
• 1957The Abominable Snowman — Dr. Peter Fox
• 1957The Prince and the Showgirl — Northbrook
• 1956A Touch of the Sun — Purchase
• Colonel March of Scotland Yard — Arthur Cabot
• 1956Eyewitness — Anaesthetist
• Hancock's Half Hour
• 1956It's a Wonderful World — Harold
• 1956Jumping for Joy — Carruthers
• 1956The Green Man — Doctor
• 1956The Iron Petticoat — Lingerie Clerk
• 1956The Man Who Knew Too Much — Assistant Manager
• 1956The Man Who Never Was — Shop Assistant
• 1956The Silken Affair — Worthington
• 1955A Yank in Ermine — Boone
• 1955An Alligator Named Daisy — Hoskins
• 1955As Long as They're Happy — Hippodrome Stage Manager
• 1955I Am a Camera — Bespectacled Man at Book Launch (uncredited)
• 1955Simon and Laura — Controller of Television Drama
• 1955The Colditz Story — Richard Gordon
• 1955The Time of His Life — Edgar
• 1954Doctor in the House — Medical Book Salesman (uncredited)
• 1954Hobson's Choice — Albert Prosser
• 1954Lease of Life — Solicitor
• 1954The Belles of St Trinian's — Manton Bassett
• 1954The Crowded Day — Mr. Christopher
• 1953Appointment in London — Pascal
• 1953Background — David Wallace
• 1953Blood Orange — Detective Inspector MacLeod
• 1953Colonel March Investigates — Cabot
• 1953Innocents in Paris — Wilkinson
• 1953Park Plaza 605 — Theodore Feather
• 1953Small Town Story — Marsh
• 1953The Final Test — Cricket Fan
• 1953The Intruder — School Master
• 1953Top of the Form — Willoughby-Gore
• 1952Derby Day — Editor
• 1952Made in Heaven — The vicar
• 1952Mother Riley Meets the Vampire — P.C. Freddie
• 1952Penny Princess — Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
• 1952Song of Paris — Carter
• 1952The Importance of Being Earnest — Seton
• The Liberace Show
• 1952Top Secret — Barnes
• 1951Appointment with Venus — Carruthers - Higher Executive
• 1951Lady Godiva Rides Again — Casting Director
• 1950The Clouded Yellow — Employment Agent
• 1950The Happiest Days of Your Life — Arnold Billings: Staff of Nutbourne
• 1949Helter Skelter — Compere of Nick Nack Show (uncredited)
• 1949Kind Hearts and Coronets — Defence Counsel (uncredited)
• 1949Marry Me — Minor Role (uncredited)
• 1949The Chiltern Hundreds — Vicar (uncredited)
• 1938A Yank at Oxford — Latin Speaker at Dinner (uncredited)

Appearances as themselves (2)

• 2004The Prince, The Showgirl and Me — Self (archive footage)
• 1981Eric Sykes: One of the Great Troupers — Self (archive material)