Michael Bates

Person

Michael Bates

Acting December 4, 1920

Jhansi, British India (now Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)

​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, Cambridg…

IMDb

Known for

Popular titles

Biography

A closer look

Read full biography

​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.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 1978
  2. 1977
    Gulliver's Travels

    Movie (voice)

  3. 1976
  4. 1975
    Comedy Premiere

    TV show Reg Forrester

  5. 1974
    Fall of Eagles

    TV show Von Ludendorff

  6. 1974
    It Ain't Half Hot Mum

    TV show Rangi Ram

  7. 1973
    No Sex Please - We're British

    Movie Mr. Arnold Needham

  8. 1973
    Last of the Summer Wine

    TV show Cyril Blamire

  9. 1972
    The Stone Tape

    Movie Eddie Holmes

  10. 1972
    Frenzy

    Movie DS Spearman

  11. 1971
    A Clockwork Orange

    Movie Chief Guard

  12. 1971
    The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes

    TV show Colonel Sandstream

  13. 1971
    Jason King

    TV show

  14. 1971
    The Fox Trot

    Movie Arthur

  15. 1971
    Budgie

    TV show Minces Nutty

  16. 1971
    Six Dates with Barker

    TV show Gasman

More credits
  1. 1970
  2. 1970
    Every Home Should Have One

    Movie Magistrate

  3. 1970
    The Misfit

    TV show Sgt. Wilfreds

  4. 1969
    Patton

    Movie Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

  5. 1969
    Arthur? Arthur!

    Movie Mr. Harrington

  6. 1969
    Battle of Britain

    Movie Warrant Officer Warwick

  7. 1969
    Sling Your Hook

    Movie Joe

  8. 1969
    Oh! What a Lovely War

    Movie Drunk Lance Corporal

  9. 1969
    Male of the Species

    TV show Fred

  10. 1969
    ITV Saturday Night Theatre

    TV show Fred

  11. 1969
    Male of the Species

    Movie Fred

  12. 1968
    Hammerhead

    Movie Andreas / Sir Richard

  13. 1968
  14. 1968
    Salt & Pepper

    Movie Inspector Crabbe

  15. 1968
    The Brahmin Widow

    Movie Mr. Ambekar

  16. 1968
    Ooh La La!

    TV show Vatelin

  17. 1968
    Cilla

    TV show Self

  18. 1968
    Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

    Movie Mr. McGregor

  19. 1967
    Bedazzled

    Movie Inspector Clarke

  20. 1967
    Man in a Suitcase

    TV show Delacroix

  21. 1967
    ITV Playhouse

    TV show Mr. Ambekar

  22. 1966
    Macready's Gala

    Movie Mike MacFarland

  23. 1965
    A Passage to India

    Movie Professor Godbole

  24. 1965
    BBC Play of the Month

    TV show Professor Godbole