About

Known credits:
33
Birthday:
1920-12-04
Place of birth:
Jhansi, British India (now Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Website:
N/A

Michael Bates

Overview

​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.

Known for

Acting
1978 Hokusai: An Animated Sketchbook Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
1977 Gulliver's Travels Actor (voice) 58
Average
1976 The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones Actor Madman 58
Average
1974 It Ain't Half Hot Mum Actor Rangi Ram 70
Good
1973 No Sex Please: We're British Actor Mr. Needham 58
Average
1972 The Stone Tape Actor Eddie Holmes 58
Average
1972 Frenzy Actor Sergeant Spearman 66
Fair
1971 A Clockwork Orange Actor Chief Guard 81
Very good
1971 The Fox Trot Actor Arthur N/A
N/A
1970 The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer Actor Mr. Spimm 59
Average
1970 Every Home Should Have One Actor Magistrate 58
Average
1970 Patton Actor Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery 69
Fair
1969 Arthur? Arthur! Actor Mr. Harrington 58
Average
1969 Battle of Britain Actor Warrant Officer Warwick 62
Fair
1969 Sling Your Hook Actor Joe N/A
N/A
1969 Oh! What a Lovely War Actor Drunk Lance Corporal 59
Average
1969 Male of the Species Actor Fred 58
Average
1968 Hammerhead Actor Andreas / Sir Richard 58
Average
1968 Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River Actor Dr. Spink 59
Average
1968 Salt & Pepper Actor Inspector Crabbe 58
Average
1968 The Brahmin Widow Actor Mr. Ambekar N/A
N/A
1968 Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Actor Mr. McGregor 58
Average
1967 Bedazzled Actor Inspector Clarke 59
Average
1966 Macready's Gala Actor Mike MacFarland N/A
N/A
1965 A Passage to India Actor Professor Godbole N/A
N/A
1964 Cluff Actor N/A
N/A
1963 The Dick Emery Show Actor 70
Good
1959 I'm All Right Jack Actor Bootle 60
Fair
1958 Dunkirk Actor Froome 59
Average
1956 The Spanish Gardener Actor Consular Official (uncredited) 59
Average
1955 Quay South Actor Captain Alan Gerald N/A
N/A
1954 Carrington V.C. Actor Major Broke-Smith 59
Average
1954 The Stratford Adventure Actor Self 58
Average