Michael Bates (actor)
British actor (1920–1978)
title: "Michael Bates (actor)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1920-births", "1978-deaths", "people-from-jhansi", "english-male-television-actors", "english-male-film-actors", "male-actors-from-british-india", "deaths-from-cancer-in-england", "people-educated-at-uppingham-school", "alumni-of-st-catharine's-college,-cambridge", "royal-gurkha-rifles-officers", "indian-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "conservative-party-(uk)-people", "20th-century-english-male-actors", "british-indian-army-officers"] description: "British actor (1920–1978)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bates_(actor)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary British actor (1920–1978) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Michael Bates |
| image | MichaelBatesAClockworkOrange.png |
| caption | Bates in A Clockwork Orange in 1971 |
| birth_name | Michael Hammond Bates |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Jhansi, United Provinces, British India |
| (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) | |
| death_date | |
| death_place | Chelsea, London, England |
| citizenship | United Kingdom |
| alma_mater | St Catharine's College, Cambridge |
| occupation | Actor |
| yearsactive | 1953–1977 |
| spouse | |
| children | 3 |
| embed | yes |
| allegiance | British Raj |
| commands | 3rd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles |
| rank | Major |
| battles | World War II |
| branch | British Indian Army |
| :: |
| name = Michael Bates | image = MichaelBatesAClockworkOrange.png | imagesize = | caption = Bates in A Clockwork Orange in 1971 | birth_name = Michael Hammond Bates | birth_date = | birth_place = Jhansi, United Provinces, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) | death_date = | death_place = Chelsea, London, England | citizenship = United Kingdom | alma_mater = St Catharine's College, Cambridge | occupation = Actor | yearsactive = 1953–1977 | spouse = | children = 3 | module = | embed = yes | allegiance = British Raj | commands = 3rd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles | rank = Major | battles = World War II | branch = British Indian Army
Michael Hammond Bates (4 December 1920 – 11 January 1978) was a British actor, born in colonial India. He was best known for his roles as Chief Guard Barnes in A Clockwork Orange (1971), Cyril Blamire on Last of the Summer Wine (1973–1975), and Rangi Ram on It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1977).
Early life
Bates was born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India). His parents were of Cheshire families; his father, Henry Stuart "Harry" Bates (March 16 1893–September 1 1985), son of Albert Bates (born 1868), of Congleton, Cheshire, was educated at Denstone School and Cambridge University before entering the Indian Civil Service in 1920. He served as Deputy Secretary of the Revenue Department and a Member of the Board of Revenue for the United Provinces of India until 1947 (in which year he was created CSI) and was later of the Colonial Office.Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage and Companionage, Kelly's Directories, 1973, p. 2474 Bates's mother, Sarah Clarke Walker (June 19 1896–from October to December 1982) was daughter of William Hammond Walker (1851-19 May 1904), also of Congleton.
Having been sent home to England aged seven by his parents, Bates was educated at Uppingham School and his father's alma mater, St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He was commissioned in the Indian Army in March 1942. During World War II he served in the Burma Campaign as a major with the 3rd Battalion, The 9th Gurkha Rifles, and was mentioned in dispatches in 1944.
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.
In 1956, Bates appeared in Hotel Paradiso (L'Hôtel du libre échange), which starred Alec Guinness, at the Winter Garden Theatre in London. On 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 1973 to 1977 (as Rangi Ram).
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. He was a supporter of the Conservative Party. Peter Sallis described Bates as being "slightly to the right of Thatcher” politically and said that Bates's right-wing opinions contrasted so sharply with the left-wing views of fellow Last of the Summer Wine star Bill Owen that the series was almost not made because of their arguments.
Bates died of cancer on 11 January 1978 at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea, London, aged 57. Bates had reportedly started to suffer from a rapid health decline around eighteen months before his death. He died shortly after the fifth series of It Ain't Half Hot Mum had been broadcast; his character was written out of the show with no explanation.
Brownface allegations
His role as Rangi Ram led to the allegation that he had performed in brownface. Series co-creator Jimmy Perry told Stuart Jeffries in 2003 that they had been unable to find a suitable Asian actor. "But Michael was ideal for the role", Perry said. Interviewed by the journalist Neil Clark for The Daily Telegraph in 2013, Perry said that all Bates wore "was a light tan. He wasn't blacked up! Michael spoke fluent Urdu, and was a captain in the Gurkhas". The show is not repeated in the UK by the BBC, who use the "blacked up" description of Bates's performance on their website's article about the series. The series has been repeatedly shown on the "That's TV (UK)" channel since the summer of 2023, with an on-screen 'disclaimer' at the beginning of each episode reminding viewers that it contains language and attitudes reflecting the era in which it was made.
Selected filmography
Film roles
- Carrington V.C. (1955) – Major Broke-Smith
- Dunkirk (1958) – Froome
- I'm All Right Jack (1959) – Bootle
- Passage to India (1965) – Professor Godbole wrong
- Bedazzled (1967) – Inspector Clarke
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush (1968) – Mr. McGregor
- Hammerhead (1968) – Andreas / Sir Richard
- Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968) – Dr. Spink
- Salt and Pepper (1968) – Inspector Crabbe
- Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) – Drunk Lance Corporal
- Battle of Britain (1969) – Warrant Officer Warwick
- Arthur? Arthur! (1969) – Mr. Harrington
- Patton (1970) – Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery
- Every Home Should Have One (1970) – Magistrate
- The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (1970) – Mr. Spimm
- A Clockwork Orange (1971) – Chief Guard Barnes
- Frenzy (1972) – Sergeant Spearman
- No Sex Please, We're British (1973) – Mr. Needham
- Fall of Eagles (1974) – General Erich Ludendorff
- The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones (1976) – Madman
- Gulliver's Travels (1977) – (voice)
Television roles
::data[format=table]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | The Appleyards | Mr. Crump | Episode: "The Problem of Joe" |
| 1955-1958 | ITV Television Playhouse | Captain Alan Gerard/Sergeant Grey | 2 episodes |
| BBC Sunday Night Theatre | Maxwell Oliver/Starveling | ||
| 1957 | Television World Theatre | Bardulph/Williams | Episode: "The Life of Henry V" |
| 1958 | Dixon of Dock Green | Jimmy | Episode: "A Little Bit of Luck" |
| Ivanhoe | Will the Simple | Episode: "The Raven" | |
| Saturday Playhouse | Gregory Lupton/Colonel Lukyn | 2 episodes | |
| 1959 | World Theatre | Old Colonel | Episode: Mother Courage and Her Children |
| The Four Just Men | Corporal Bates | Episode: "The Deserter" | |
| 1960 | No Hiding Place | Alec Peters | Episode: "Three Small Bones" |
| Boyd Q.C. | Dr. Attard | Episode: "The Little Man" | |
| 1960-1966 | Emergency Ward 10 | Joe Watson/James Wilberforce | 9 episodes |
| 1961 | ITV Play of the Week | Lieutenant-Commander Richard Stanford | Episode: "The Flashing Stream" |
| 1962 | Tales of Mystery | Arthur Vezin | Episode: "Ancient Sorceries" |
| 1963 | The Saint | Joe | Episode: "The Fellow Traveller" |
| 1965 | Thursday Theatre | Tommy | Episode: "Photo Finish" |
| Cluff | Inspector Mole | Season 2 | |
| 1965-1970 | BBC Play of the Month | Professor Godbole/Ronald Storrs | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | Theatre 625 | Shpichelsky | Episode: "A Month in the Country" |
| 1966-1969 | The Wednesday Play | Mike MacFarland/Joe | 2 episodes |
| 1968 | Man in a Suitcase | Delacroix | Episode: "Blind Spot" |
| ITV Playhouse | Mr. Ambekar/Harold Radcliff | 2 episodes | |
| Armchair Theatre | Episode: "The Escape Club" | ||
| 1968-1973 | Comedy Playhouse | Antrobus/Cyril Blamire | 2 episodes |
| 1969 | The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder | Ras Lal Punjabi | Episode: "Sheer Melodrama" |
| 1969-1972 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1970 | NBC Experiment in Television | Eustace Cartwright | Episode: "The Engagement" |
| Oh In Colour | 1 episode | ||
| 1970-1971 | Mr Digby Darling | Norman Stanhope | 6 episodes |
| 1970-1973 | Thirty-Minute Theatre | Captain Gambell/Mr. Lightfoot | 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Man at the Top | Tom Binsey | Episode: "Too Good for This World" |
| Six Dates with Barker | Gasman / Patient | Episode: "1971: Come in and Lie Down" | |
| The Misfit | Sgt. Wilfreds | Episode: "On Arrivals and Departures and Things in Between" | |
| Play for Today | Arthur | Episode: "The Fox Trot" | |
| Jason King | Edward | Episode: "As Easy as A.B.C." | |
| The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | Colonel Sandstream | Episode: "The Assyrian Rejuvenator" | |
| 1972 | Budgie | Minces Nutty | Episode: "Louie the Ring is Dead and Buried in Kensal Green Cemetary" |
| Lollipop Loves Mr Mole | Mr. Christmas | Episode: "It's Only Natural Gas" | |
| Public Eye | George (Shopkeeper / Retired policeman) | Episode: "Horse and Carriage" | |
| The Stone Tape | Eddie Holmes | TV film | |
| 1973–1975 | Last of the Summer Wine | Cyril Blamire | Seasons 1-2 |
| 1974 | Fall of Eagles | Von Ludendorff | 2 episodes |
| The Dick Emery Show | Horace Toombs/Veedo | ||
| 1974–1977 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum | Bearer Rangi Ram | Seasons 1-5 |
| 1975 | Comedy Premiere | Reg Forrester | Episode: "Honey" |
| :: |
References
References
- "Michael Bates". [[British Film Institute]].
- Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1969, pg. 224
- Who Was Who: A Companion to Who's Who, 2002, pg. 50
- Who's Who, A. & C. Black, 1968, p. 183
- Last of the Summer Wine: The Inside Story of the World's Longest-Running Comedy Series, Andrew Vine, Aurum Press, 2011
- {{London Gazette. (20 March 1942)
- (2019-08-13). "Bates, Michael Hammond - B/3031/75 - Burma Star Memorial Fund".
- {{London Gazette. (17 October 1944)
- Who's Who in the Theatre, 1977, pg. 391
- (17 May 2009). "Argument 'threatened Summer Wine'". [[BBC News]].
- (1978-01-14). "Michael Bates - Actor - Clockwork Orange - Obituary". The Guardian.
- page 414 ''Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy'' by [[Mark Lewisohn]] (2003)
- See comments by actor Renu Setna in the documentary on ''[[Comedy Connections]]'' "It Ain't Half Hot, Mum" (#5.3), original air date: 26 January 2007
- Jeffries, Stuart. (3 February 2003). "Some like it hot". [[The Guardian]].
- Clark, Neil. (20 September 2013). "Jimmy Perry turns 90: a tribute to the genius behind Dad's Army". The Telegraph.
- Furness, Hannah. (20 September 2013). "Banning It Ain't Half Hot Mum from TV is a 'shame', creator says, as non-PC moments are just 'historical truth'". The Telegraph.
- "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". BBC Comedy.
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