Michael Bates

Born: 1920-12-04

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Michael Hammond Bates was an Indian-born English actor. He was educated at Uppingham School in Rutland and St Catharine's College, Cambridge. Bates served as a Major serving with the Brigade of Gurkhas in Burma before his discharge at the end of World War II. In 1953, while an ensemble member with the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, he appeared in Richard III and All's Well That End's Well. In 1956 he appeared in Hotel Paradiso which starred Alec Guinness, at the Winter Garden Theatre in London. He appeared in many UK television series including Last of the Summer Wine from 1973 to 1975 as Cyril Blamire and It Ain't Half Hot Mum from 1974 to 1977 as Rangi Ram, as well as many others. His role as Rangi Ram caused some controversy as it required Bates to be made-up with fake tan to look like an Indian, which he took to naturally as he was born in India and spoke the Hindi language fluently. On radio he played a variety of characters in the BBC's long-running comedy series The Navy Lark. These were: Able Seaman Ginger, Lt. Bates, Rear Admiral Ironbridge, the Padre and Captain Ignatius Aloysius Atchison. Bates' film roles include Battle of Britain (1969) as Warrant Officer Warwick, Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) as a Lance-corporal, Patton (1970) as Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery (to whom he bore a striking resemblance), Frenzy (1972) by Alfred Hitchcock, and the Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange (1971). On stage, he did Shakespeare at Stratford and the Old Vic and made a big impression as Inspector Truscott in the West End production of Loot by Joe Orton in 1966. He died of cancer in Cambridge, aged 57. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Bates (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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A Clockwork Orange

as Chief Guard Barnes
Released: 1971-12-19

In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and...

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Dunkirk

as Froome
Released: 1958-03-20

A British Corporal in France finds himself responsible for the lives of his men when their...

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Patton

as Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
Released: 1970-01-25

"Patton" tells the tale of General George S. Patton, famous tank commander of World War II. The...

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Frenzy

as Sergeant Spearman
Released: 1972-05-25

After a serial killer strangles several women with a necktie, London police identify a...

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Battle of Britain

as Warrant Officer Warwick
Released: 1969-09-15

In 1940, the Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle against the might of the Luftwaffe for...

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Bedazzled

as Inspector Clarke
Released: 1967-10-30

A hapless loser sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for seven wishes, but has trouble...

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Salt & Pepper

as Inspector Crabbe
Released: 1968-07-03

After discovering the body of a murdered female agent in their trendy Soho, London nightclub,...

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Oh! What a Lovely War

as Drunk Lance Corporal
Released: 1969-03-10

The working-class Smiths change their initially sunny views on World War I after the three boys...

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The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer

as Mr. Spimm
Released: 1970-11-12

Fresh-faced young Michael Rimmer worms his way into an opinion poll company and is soon running...

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Every Home Should Have One

as Magistrate
Released: 1970-03-05

Teddy works for a large advertising company. Given the seemingly impossible task of selling...

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I'm All Right Jack

as Bootle
Released: 1959-08-18

Naive Stanley Windrush returns from the war, his mind set on a successful career in business....

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No Sex Please: We're British

as Mr. Needham
Released: 1973-07-25

A porn-store owner orders some new stuff from his supplier, but the delivery address gets mixed...

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Hammerhead

as Andreas / Sir Richard
Released: 1968-09-11

An American agent has tracked down the stronghold of an evil criminal mastermind, determined to...

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Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

as Mr. McGregor
Released: 1968-01-22

Jamie McGregor is a virginal sixth-former in suburbia delivering groceries for the local...

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Gulliver's Travels

as (voice)
Released: 1977-01-01

Based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift and built around the Lilliput and Blefuscu...

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The Stone Tape

as Eddie Holmes
Released: 1972-12-25

A research team from an electronics company move into an old Victorian house to start work on...

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The Spanish Gardener

as Consular Official (uncredited)
Released: 1956-12-25

Harrington Brande, a British diplomat who recently broke up with his wife, is stationed in a...

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Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River

as Dr. Spink
Released: 1968-07-12

George Lester is a man who is chasing rainbows, looking for the pot of gold at the end. When his...

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Arthur? Arthur!

as Mr. Harrington
Released: 1969-10-01

The inventor of sure-fire failures leads such an abysmal life that he creates a second identity,...

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Male of the Species

as Fred
Released: 1969-01-03

Never trust a man whoever he is. This is the bitter lesson learned by Mary MacNeil in her...

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Carrington V.C.

as Major Broke-Smith
Released: 1954-12-09

Major Charles Carrington (David Niven) is arrested for taking £125 from the base safe. He also...

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A Passage to India

as Professor Godbole
Released: 1965-11-16

The BBC's 1965 adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel, screened as part of their Play of the Month...

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The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones

as Madman
Released: 1976-08-01

Another stab at Henry Fielding's hilarious novel about the amorous misadventures of a dashing...

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Sling Your Hook

as Joe
Released: 1969-04-02

A group of coal miners from Nottingham go on their annual trip to Blackpool.

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The Stratford Adventure

as Self
Released: 1954-08-02

This short film depicts how a small Canadian city, bearing the name of Stratford and by a river...

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Macready's Gala

as Mike MacFarland
Released: 1966-03-02

The Headmaster and governors of a boarding school are accidentally locked in the new memorial...

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The Fox Trot

as Arthur
Released: 1971-04-29

The first in a series of new plays. Arthur and Gwen, a cosy middle-aged couple, remember with...

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BBC Play of the Month

as Professor Godbole
First aired: 1965-10-19

Play of the Month is a BBC television anthology series featuring productions of classic and...

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No Hiding Place

as uncredited
First aired: 1959-09-16

No Hiding Place is a British television series that was produced at Wembley Studios by...

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Last of the Summer Wine

as Cyril Blamire
First aired: 1973-01-04

Unencumbered by wives, jobs or any other responsibilities, three senior citizens who've never...

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The Wednesday Play

as Joe
First aired: 1964-09-30

The Wednesday Play is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 from...

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The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

as Colonel Sandstream
First aired: 1971-09-20

Adaptations of mystery stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's contemporary rivals in the genre.

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Man in a Suitcase

as Delacroix
First aired: 1967-09-27

Accused of treason, a former U.S. intelligence officer based in London tries to clear his name,...

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Fall of Eagles

as Von Ludendorff
First aired: 1974-03-15

"Fall of Eagles" is a 13-part British television drama aired by the BBC in 1974. The series...

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The Saint

as Joe
First aired: 1962-10-04

Simon Templar is The Saint, a handsome, sophisticated, debonair, modern-day Robin Hood who...

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Public Eye

as George
First aired: 1965-01-23

Public Eye is a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975. It was produced by ABC...

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It Ain't Half Hot Mum

as Rangi Ram
First aired: 1974-01-03

The comic adventures of a group of misfits who form an extremely bad concert party touring the...

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Jason King

as uncredited
First aired: 1971-09-15

Jason King - a suavely sophisticated former secret agent turned novelist - travels the world...

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Ivanhoe

as Will The Simple
First aired: 1958-01-05

Ivanhoe is a British television series first shown on ITV in 1958-59. The show features Roger...

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Cilla

as Self
First aired: 1968-01-30

A mostly live weekly entertainment show starring Cilla Black and her special guests.

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Six Dates with Barker

as uncredited
First aired: 1971-01-08

Six Dates with Barker is a series of six one-off, half hour situation comedies showcasing the...

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Male of the Species

as Fred
First aired: 1969-02-01

Never trust a man whoever he is. This is the bitter lesson learned by Mary MacNeil in her...

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The Dick Emery Show

as uncredited
First aired: 1963-07-13

A British sketch comedy show broadcast on the BBC from 1963 to 1981, with frequent performers...

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