Ann Robinson is an American actress and stunt horse rider, possibly best known for her work in the iconic science-fiction classic "War of the Worlds" and "Dragnet" with Jack Webb and Ben Alexander from 1954.
Born at Hollywood Hospital on May 25, 1929 in Hollywood, California, she attended Hollywood High School from 1949 to 1952. (One source claims she was born May 1, 1935.) Her father was employed by the Bank of Hollywood, and he taught her how to ride horses, beginning when she was only three. Robinson eventually became an accomplished rider, which led to her first professional work in Hollywood as a stunt rider in film "Frenchie" with Shelley Winters in 1950. Later appearances included roles in "The Cimarron Kid" with Audie Murphy, "Gun Brothers" and "Gun Duel in Durango."
Signed as an actress to Paramount in the early 1950s, her first leading role was as Sylvia Van Buren in the movie, "The War of the Worlds" with Gene Barry, a role she quasi-reprised in two later films, first as Dr. Van Buren in "Midnight Movie Massacre" in 1988 and as Dr. Sylvia Van Buren in "The Naked Monster" in 2005. She also reprised the role in three episodes of the 1988 television series "War of the Worlds."
In 1957, she eloped to Mexico to marry world class bull fighter Jaime Bravo. They had two sons together, Jaime A. Bravo Jr, who became a TV director for ABC Sports and ESPN, and Estefan A. Bravo, who became an actor himself.While residing in Mexico, Robinson played minor Hollywood roles, mainly in science fiction films. The couple divorced in 1967, but Jaime lost his life an an automobile accident on the way to a bullfight.
Robinson went on to star in several other films, including "Imitation of Life" in 1959 and "Julie" with Doris Day. From 1955 to 1959, she was cast in ten episodes of the NBC children's western television series "Fury," also making appearances in "Adam-12," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Ben Casey," "The Bob Cummings Show," "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" " Days of Our Lives," "General Hospital," Gilligan's Island (uncredited), "My Little Margie," "Perry Mason," "Peter Gunn," "Police Woman," "Rawhide" and "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp." She retired from acting after filming her cameo in the 2005 "War of the Worlds" with Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning.
She was also featured in several commercials for Home Savings of America, Toni home perm, and Chesterfield Cigarettes. She also performed a number of film voice-overs in English and Spanish. She did the leading actress' voice in "To Begin Again," which won the 1984 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. She also did loops for the Bruce Lee series "The Dead Are Alive," "Tough Guys" and "Survive."
In 1985, she appeared in a documentary about George Pal titled "The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal," which was produced and directed by Arnold Leibovitz.
In 1987, Robinson married real estate broker and business manager Joseph Valdez in California, where they took up residence in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. They divorced in 2017. Today, Robinson makes frequent guest appearances at classic Hollywood autograph shows and numerous science-fiction conventions across the United States and around the world.