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Michael Bates

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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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Born:
Dec 4, 1920 In Jhansi, British India (now Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Movie/TV Credits:
41
First Appeared:
In the series Comedy Premiere
Latest Project:
Movie Barry's Bespoke Bakery 2012-07-18
Known For
Poster of Fall of Eagles
Poster of A Clockwork Orange
Poster of Six Dates with Barker
Poster of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
Filmography
Series Comedy Premiere Reg Forrester 2025
Series The Foxtrot Unknown 2025
Movie Barry's Bespoke Bakery Barry 2012-07-18
Movie Hot Times at Montclair High Dirk 1989-11-08
Movie Jailhouse Wardress - 1981-08-05
Movie Gulliver's Travels (voice) 1977-01-01
Movie The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones Madman 1976-08-01
Series Fall of Eagles Von Ludendorff 1974-03-15
Series It Ain't Half Hot Mum Rangi Ram 1974-01-03
Movie No Sex Please: We're British Mr. Needham 1973-07-25
Series Last of the Summer Wine Cyril Blamire 1973-01-04
Movie Frenzy Sergeant Spearman 1972-05-25
Movie The Stone Tape Eddie Holmes 1972-12-25
Series The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Unknown 1971-09-20
Series Six Dates with Barker Unknown 1971-01-08
Movie The Fox Trot Arthur 1971-04-29
Series Jason King Unknown 1971-09-15
Movie A Clockwork Orange Chief Guard Barnes 1971-12-19
Movie The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer Mr. Spimm 1970-11-12
Movie Every Home Should Have One Magistrate 1970-03-05
Movie Patton Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery 1970-01-25
Movie Oh! What a Lovely War Drunk Lance Corporal 1969-03-10
Movie Battle of Britain Warrant Officer Warwick 1969-09-15
Movie Male of the Species Fred 1969-01-03
Movie Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Mr. McGregor 1968-01-22
Movie Salt & Pepper Inspector Crabbe 1968-07-03
Movie Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River Dr. Spink 1968-07-12
Movie Hammerhead Andreas / Sir Richard 1968-09-11
Series Man in a Suitcase Unknown 1967-09-27
Movie Bedazzled Inspector Clarke 1967-10-30
Series Play of the Month Unknown 1965-10-19
Series Cluff 1964-04-06
Series The Dick Emery Show 1963-07-13
Series The Saint Unknown 1962-10-04
Movie I'm All Right Jack Bootle 1959-08-18
Series No Hiding Place Unknown 1959-09-16
Movie Dunkirk Froome 1958-03-20
Series Ivanhoe Unknown 1958-01-05
Movie The Spanish Gardener Consular Official (uncredited) 1956-12-25
Movie Carrington V.C. Major Broke-Smith 1954-12-09
Movie The Stratford Adventure Self 1954-08-02