Ann Robinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ann Robinson
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Robinson in 1955
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| Born | May 25, 1929 |
| Years active | 1949–2005 |
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| Children | 2 |
Ann Robinson is an American actress who used to perform amazing stunts with horses! She was born on May 25, 1929. Ann is best known for her main role in the classic science-fiction movie The War of the Worlds from 1953. She also starred as a police officer in the 1954 film Dragnet.
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Ann's Early Life
Ann Robinson was born on May 25, 1929. She went to Hollywood High School in California. Her dad worked at the Bank of Hollywood. He taught Ann how to ride horses when she was only three years old. Ann became a very skilled horse rider. This talent helped her get her first job in Hollywood. She worked as a stunt rider in the movie Frenchie. In this film, she performed stunts for actress Shelley Winters.
Ann's Acting Career
After doing stunt work, Ann Robinson started acting in many movies. She appeared in several Westerns, which are movies about cowboys and the Wild West. Some of these films include The Cimarron Kid (1951) with Audie Murphy, Gun Brothers (1956), and Gun Duel in Durango (1957).
Becoming a Star
In the early 1950s, a big movie studio called Paramount Pictures signed Ann Robinson as an actress. Her first main role was as Sylvia Van Buren in The War of the Worlds (1953). She starred alongside Gene Barry in this famous science-fiction movie. Ann even played this character again in later films like Midnight Movie Massacre (1988) and The Naked Monster (2005). She also appeared as Sylvia in three episodes of the War of the Worlds TV show.
Ann worked on other movies too. These include Imitation of Life (1959) and the thriller Julie (1956) with Doris Day. She also had a main role in Dragnet (1954). This movie was based on a popular TV series.
Television Roles
From 1955 to 1959, Ann Robinson was in 10 episodes of a children's Western TV show called Fury. She played Helen Watkins, a teacher. She was also a love interest for Jim Newton, played by Peter Graves.
Ann appeared in many other TV shows. Some of these include Adam-12, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gilligan's Island, and Perry Mason. She also appeared in Rawhide and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. In 1955, she was in the first episode of the TV Western Cheyenne.
Voice Work and Later Appearances
Ann Robinson also did voice-overs for films in both English and Spanish. She was the voice of the main actress in To Begin Again. This movie won an Oscar for best foreign film in 1984.
In 1985, Ann was in a documentary about George Pal, who directed The War of the Worlds. In 2005, she had a small role in the Steven Spielberg film War of the Worlds. She played the grandmother of Dakota Fanning's character. Her old co-star, Gene Barry, was also in this movie. After this role, Ann retired from acting.
Ann's Personal Life
In 1957, Ann Robinson married matador Jaime Bravo in Mexico. A matador is a bullfighter. They had two sons together. Their sons are Jaime A. Bravo, Jr., who became a TV director, and Estefan A. Bravo, who became an actor. Ann and Jaime divorced in 1967. Sadly, Jaime Bravo passed away in a car accident in 1970.
In 1987, Ann married Joseph Valdez. He was a real estate broker and business manager. They lived in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles, California.
Selected Filmography
- Cheyenne (1955) (season 1, episode 1: "Mountain Fortress") as Joan Carter
- Rawhide (1960) (season 3, episode 2: "Incident of the Challenge") as Julia Garcia
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) (season 6, episode 38: "Ambition") as Helen Cox
