Michael Bates (actor)

Michael Hammond Bates^[1] (4 December 1920 – 11 January 1978)^[2] was a British actor. He was best known for playing Chief Guard Barnes who processes Alex in A Clockwork Orange, Cyril Blamire in Last of the Summer Wine (1973–1975), and Rangi Ram in It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1977).

Michael Bates
Bates in A Clockwork Orange in 1971
Born	Michael Hammond Bates (1920-12-04)4 December 1920 Jhansi, United Provinces, British India
Died	11 January 1978(1978-01-11) (aged 57) Chelsea, London, England
Nationality	British
Alma mater	St Catharine's College, Cambridge
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–1977
Spouse	Margaret M. J. Chisholm ​ ​ (m. 1954)​
Children	3

Early life

Bates was born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India.^[2] His parents were of Cheshire families; his father, Henry Stuart "Harry" Bates (1893–1985), son of Albert Bates, of Congleton, Cheshire,^[3][4] 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.^[5][6] Bates's mother, Sarah Clarke Walker (1896–1982) was daughter of William Hammond Walker, also of Congleton.^[3]

Having been sent home to England aged seven by his parents,^[7] Bates was educated at Uppingham School and his father's alma mater, St Catharine's College, Cambridge.^[5] He was commissioned in the Indian Army in March 1942.^[8] During World War II he served in the Burma Campaign as a major with the 3rd Battalion, The 9th Gurkha Rifles,^[9] and was mentioned in dispatches in 1944.^[10]

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 1974 to 1977 (as Rangi Ram). His role as Rangi Ram led to the allegation that he had performed in brownface.^[11] 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.^[12] 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".^[13][14] 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.^[13][15] 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.

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.^[16]

Bates was a supporter of the Conservative Party. Peter Sallis described Bates as being "slightly to the right of Thatcher” politically and claimed 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.^[17]

Bates died of cancer on 11 January 1978 in Chelsea, London, aged 57.^[2][18]

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
• 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

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1965	Cluff	Inspector Mole	Season 2 , 13 episodes
1969	The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder	Ras Lal Punjabi	Series 1, Episode 4
1971	Six Dates with Barker	Gasman / Patient
1972	Public Eye	George (Shopkeeper / Retired policeman)
1973–1975	Last of the Summer Wine	Cyril Blamire	14 episodes
1974–1977	It Ain't Half Hot Mum	Bearer Rangi Ram	(final appearance)