Line #8 Creator/MichaelBates


1	[[quoteright:462:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/michaelbates.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:462:"[[Series/ItAintHalfHotMum There is an old Hindu proverb, which say...]]"]]
3
4	Michael Hammond Bates, (4 December 1920 -- 11 January 1978), was a British actor best known for playing Blamire in ''Series/LastOfTheSummerWine'' and Rangi Ram in ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum''.
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6	He was born to English parents in India, learning to speak fluent Hindi and Urdu, before moving to England at the age of seven. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, he returned to India as a Major in the Indian Army.
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8	He began to act on stage in The50s and provided the voices of many characters in ''Radio/TheNavyLark''. Over the rest of the '50s and '60s, Bates was a regular face in British cinema, playing supporting roles in films such as ''Film/Bedazzled1967'', ''Film/BattleOfBritain'', ''Film/{{Patton}}'', ''Film/AClockworkOrange'', ''Film/Frenzy1972'', and ''No Sex Please - We're British''.
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10	During this period, Bates made guest appearances in several popular television series, but it wouldn't be until 1973 when he would be cast in a starring role, as the snobby and pompous Cyril Blamire in ''Last of the Summer Wine''. Bates clashed with co-star Creator/BillOwen during pre-production over their differing political views (their other co-star Creator/PeterSallis later described Bates as "slightly to the right of [[UsefulNotes/MargaretThatcher Thatcher]]") which almost stopped the series from being made, but the two were able to cooperate on set after this.
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12	The following year, Bates was made up in {{Brownface}} for his most controversial role as native Indian bearer Rangi Ram in ''It Ain't Half Hot, Mum''. Series co-creator Jimmy Perry defended this casting choice with the knowledge that Bates was born in India and spoke fluent Urdu.
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14	Sadly, all was not well in Bates' personal life, as spent his last few years slowly dying of cancer. He left ''Summer Wine'' in 1975, as his body wasn't able to handle location filming up in the hills, so Creator/BrianWilde was brought in to fill the role of "third man" in the Bates-Owen-Sallis trio. He stuck with ''Half Hot, Mum'' until 1977, knowing Rangi was his most popular character. He wasn't expected to have been able to star in Series 5, but despite the intense pain, Bates was able to finish the production of that series with his usual level of professionalism.
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16	His cancer finally claimed his life at the age of 57.
17	----
18	!!Works on TV Tropes he appeared in:
19	[[AC:Films]]
20	* ''{{Film/Dunkirk\|1958}}'' (1958) -- Airman Froome
21	* ''{{Film/Bedazzled\|1967}}'' (1967) -- Inspector Clarke
22	* ''Film/OhWhatALovelyWar'' (1969) -- Drunk Lance Corporal
23	* ''Film/BattleOfBritain'' (1969) -- Warrant Officer Warwick
24	* ''Film/{{Patton}}'' (1970) -- Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
25	* ''Film/TheRiseAndRiseOfMichaelRimmer'' (1970) -- Mr. Spimm
26	* ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' (1971) -- Chief Guard Barnes
27	* ''{{Film/Frenzy\|1972}}'' (1972) -- Sergeant Spearman
28	* ''Film/TheStoneTape'' (1972) -- Eddie Holmes
29	[[AC:Series]]
30	* ''Series/DixonOfDockGreen'', episode "A Little Bit of Luck" (1958) -- Jimmy
31	* ''Series/{{Ivanhoe}}'', episode "The Raven" (1958) -- Will the Simple
32	* ''Series/TheSaint'', episode "The Fellow Traveller" (1963) -- Joe
33	* ''Series/ManInASuitcase'', episode "Blind Spot" (1968) -- Delacroix
34	* ''Series/PlayForToday'', episode "The Fox Trot" (1971) -- Arthur
35	* ''Series/JasonKing'', episode "As Easy as A.B.C." (1971) -- Edward
36	* ''Series/TheRivalsOfSherlockHolmes'', episode "The Assyrian Rejuvenator" (1971) -- Colonel Sandstream
37	* ''Series/LastOfTheSummerWine'', 13 episodes (1973-75) -- Cyril Blamire
38	* ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum'', 36 episodes (1974-77) -- Rangi Ram
39	* ''Series/FallOfEagles'', 2 episodes[[labelnote:show list]]"The Secret War", "End Game"[[/labelnote]] (1974) -- General Erich von Ludendorff

Context Creator / MichaelBates