Smith, Charles Aubrey CBE (Sir)

1863

1948

C. Aubrey Smith was born on 21 July 1863, the son of the physician Charles John Smith and his wife Sarah Ann (née Clode). He was educated at Charterhouse and Cambridge. At the latter place he was a talented cricketer. Later he became captain of the Sussex team and also led English teams in Australia and South Africa. Smith is better remembered for his long and distinguished film career, but his stage career was also estimable. He first acted in Hastings in 1892, did some touring and made his London debut on 13 March 1895 at the Garrick Theatre as the Rev Amos Winterfield in “The Notorious Mrs Ebbsmith”. From then until 1943 he was seen on the stages of England and America in numerous roles, often as a distinguished and wise older man, in which manner he is captured in Gilroy’s picture (G0764). Some of his parts were Gilbert Torpenhow in “The Light that Failed” (G0995), Sir Arthur Little in “Caesar’s Wife”, Henry Higgins in “Pygmalion”, George Marden in “Mr Pim Passes By”, Sir John Dorle in “Mixed Doubles”, John Middleton in “The Constant Wife” and Sir Travers Ryecroft in “The Way to Treat a Woman”. He began his cinema career in silent films in 1915 and was seen in many films into the 1940s. He eventually settled in Beverly Hills, California, where he died on 20 December 1948 at the age of 85. Smith received the CBE in 1938 and was knighted in 1944. He had become a member of the Garrick Club in 1906. He was also a member of the Green Room, the Players (NY), and the Masquers (Hollywood). (WWWT)