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Michael Bates

Actor
Died January 11, 1978 (57 years)
​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.
Movies & Shows on Plex
  • Bedazzled
  • The Saint
Known For
  • A Clockwork Orange
  • Frenzy
  • The Stone Tape
  • Dunkirk
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Hammerhead
  • No Sex Please - We're British
  • Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
  • Hokusai: An Animated Sketchbook
  • Six Dates with Barker

Filmography

1978
1978
1977
Gulliver's Travels · as (voice)
1976
1974
Fall of Eagles (TV Series) · as Von Ludendorff
1974
It Ain't Half Hot Mum (TV Series) · as Rangi Ram
1973
1973
Last of the Summer Wine (TV Series) · as Cyril Blamire
1972
The Stone Tape · as Eddie Holmes
1972
Frenzy · as Sergeant Spearman
1971
A Clockwork Orange · as Chief Guard
1971
Lollipop Loves Mr. Mole (TV Series) · as Mr. Christmas
1971
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) · as Colonel Sandstream
1971
Jason King (TV Series)
1971
Budgie (TV Series) · as Minces Nutty
1971
1970
Man At The Top (TV Series) · as Tom Binsey
1970
1970
Play for Today (TV Series) · as Arthur
1970
1970
Patton · as Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
1969
Arthur? Arthur! · as Mr. Harrington
1969
Battle of Britain · as Warrant Officer Warwick
1969
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder (TV Series) · as Ras Lal Punjabi
1969
Oh! What a Lovely War · as Drunk Lance Corporal
1969
Male of the Species (TV Series) · as Fred
1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as Fred
1969
1968
Hammerhead · as Andreas / Sir Richard
1968
Salt and Pepper · as Inspector Crabbe
1968
1968
1967
Bedazzled · as Inspector Clarke
1967
Man in a Suitcase (TV Series) · as Delacroix
1967
ITV Playhouse (TV Series) · as Harold Radcliff
1967
NBC Experiment in Television (TV Series) · as Eustace Cartwright
1965
Play of the Month (TV Series) · as Professor Godbole
1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre (TV Series) · as Captain Gambell
1965
Public Eye (TV Series) · as George
1964
The Wednesday Play (TV Series) · as Joe
1963
1962
The Saint (TV Series) · as Joe
1961
Comedy Playhouse (TV Series) · as Antrobus (first Secretary)
1959
The Four Just Men (TV Series) · as Corporal Bates
1959
No Hiding Place (TV Series)
1959
I'm All Right Jack · as Bootle
1958
Dunkirk · as Froome
1958
Ivanhoe (TV Series) · as Will The Simple
1957
Television World Theatre (TV Series) · as Bardulph
1957
Emergency-Ward 10 (TV Series) · as Joe Watson
1956
The Spanish Gardener · as Consular Official (uncredited)
1956
Armchair Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast
1955
ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) · as Lt-Cdr. Richard Sandford
1955
ITV Television Playhouse (TV Series) · as Captain Alan Gerard
1955
Dixon of Dock Green (TV Series) · as Jimmy
1954
Court Martial · as Major Broke-Smith
1950
Sunday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as Maxwell Oliver

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