Michael Bates (actor)

Early life

Bates was born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India, to Sarah (née Clarke) (1896–1982, daughter of William Hammond Walker of Congleton, Cheshire), and Anglo-Indian civil servant Harry Stuart Bates CSI (1893–1985, son of Albert Bates, of Congleton, Cheshire). He was educated at Uppingham School and St Catharine's College, Cambridge. Bates served in Burma as a major with the Brigade of Gurkhas before his discharge at the end of the Second World War.

Career

In 1953, while an ensemble member with the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, Bates appeared in Richard III and All's Well That Ends Well.

Bates appeared in Hotel Paradiso, which starred Alec Guinness, in 1956 at the Winter Garden Theatre in London. On the radio, he played a variety of characters in the BBC's long-running comedy series The Navy Lark, including Able Seaman Ginger, Lieutenant Bates, Rear Admiral Ironbridge, the Padre, and Captain Ignatius Aloysius Atchison.

Bates appeared in many British 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). Despite his being born in India and fluent in Hindi and Urdu, Bates' role as Rangi Ram caused some controversy over his performing in blackface. Jimmy Perry, in a 2013 interview with the journalist Neil Clark, protested that "All Michael Bates [...] wore was a light tan".

Bates's film roles include Bedazzled (1967) as the flirtatious police inspector, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1967) as Mr. McGregor, 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 Montgomery (to whom he bore a striking resemblance), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Frenzy (1972). On stage, he played Shakespearean roles at Stratford and at the Old Vic, and made a big impression as Inspector Truscott in the West End production of Loot by Joe Orton in 1966.

Personal life

In 1954, Bates married Margaret M. J. Chisholm. They had three children: Rupert (who went on to also be an actor); Camilla; and Jolyon.

Bates was a supporter of the Conservative Party; Peter Sallis claimed that Bates' right-wing opinions contrasted so much with the left-wing views of fellow Last of the Summer Wine star Bill Owen that the series almost was not made because of their arguments.

Bates died of cancer on 11 January 1978 in Chelsea, London, aged 57.