Richard Watts Jr. (1898–1981) was an American theatre critic.

Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Watts was educated at Columbia University. He began his writing career as the film critic for the New York Herald Tribune before assuming the post of the newspaper's drama critic in 1936.

After spending World War II in China as a war correspondent, Watts became the theatre critic for the New York Post, a position he held until a few years prior to his death from cardiac arrest. For the Post he also wrote a regular column entitled "Random Notes on This and That." He is also credited for lending his name and voice to a Fatima Cigarette commercial for the radio show "Dragnet".