Definitely a favourite of mine -- already getting on in years when he became a stalwart character actor, so in my mind he is one of those veteran character actors who was born old. He had a marvellously distinguished voice, a truly unforgettable face and, as you say, pops up as a most welcome addition to so many movies I have enjoyed over the years. His performance in that wonderful swashbuckler The Prisoner of Zenda is a particular favourite of mine.

I haven't seen that version of Little Lord Fauntleroy but as something of a fan of little Freddie as well as C. Aubrey, I certainly need to check it out soon.

Just reading up on Smith now -- it seems he was a test cricketer before turning to the stage and screen. A man of multiple talents indeed!

Yes, sir, yes, sir, very true!

Anytime you see Sir C. Aubrey in a cast list, yes, sir, you just know that he's going to raise the quality of the film, and he certainly does not disappoint.

Time to see another C. Aubrey Smith classic!

I have four of his films in my DVDs collection. Of those, I've been wanting, for some time, to rewatch, in particular, Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Prisoner of Zenda. Hopefully one, the other, or both will be viewed, again, before much longer.

Indeed, Sir Aubrey is one of those "sure thing" actors, who if he's in a cast list, you can usually count on that it's going to be a movie worth seeing.

By the way, I've read that he was the basis for the Commander McBragg cartoon character of decades ago (apparently 1963-1973). I don't recall having ever either seen or even heard of Commander McBragg cartoons before, though no doubt am simply forgetting.

From Wikipedia:

Commander McBragg is a cartoon character who appeared in short segments (usually 90 seconds)....These segments first appeared in 1963 on the animated series Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, then on the Underdog animated television show from 1964–1973....// The segments opened with an image of a revolving globe and the title "The World of Commander McBragg." The Commander, a retired British naval officer, would buttonhole a hapless member of his gentleman's club, and relate some story filled with unlikelihoods and outright impossibilities (as his name, Commander McBragg, would suggest), always concluding with a hairbreadth escape....//....The character of McBragg is based on English actor C. Aubrey Smith – from the 1939 motion pictures The Four Feathers ("War was war then") and Another Thin Man – who often played roles in films similar to the exploits related by McBragg. The stories, more often than not, were taken from or were imitations of the Baron Munchausen stories of Rudolf Erich Raspe....

In childhood I definitely watched Underdog, so no doubt saw a number of the McBragg cartoons during episodes of it.

Yes, those are excellent examples of his fine acting talents.

• Morning Glory (1933)
• Gambling Lady (1934)
• Cleopatra (1934)
• The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935)
• Clive of India (1935)
• The Gilded Lily (1935)
• China Seas (1935)
• Lloyd's of London (1936)
• Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
• Another Thin Man (1939)
• Waterloo Bridge (1940)
• Maisie Was a Lady (1941)
• Flesh and Fantasy (1943)
• Madame Curie (1943)
• The White Cliffs of Dover (1944)

Also interesting, as some have already been mentioned.

C. Aubrey works with all time greats, as Claudette, Irene, Vivien, Greer, Myrna, Shirley, Harlow, Stanwyck, and quite a few others.

His Maisie chapter (Ann Sothern, Lew Ayres, Maureen O'Sullivan, C. Aubrey Smith) is considered by some critics as the finest of this entertaining series of ten MGM film, originally intended as a Jean Harlow vehicle.

I watched Wee Willie Winkie (one of my four Sir Aubrey DVDs) just last week. He's his reliably impressive self in that.

By the way, he had one of the best moustaches in the business!

Here's a picture of him from way back in the days when he was actually still semi-young. Already by then he looked decidedly imposing! Here's an even earlier photo.