Ann Robinson

**blackv8** · May 18th, 2009, 12:09 AM

Ann Robinson (born May 25, 1935) is an American actress.

Robinson was born in Hollywood, California to a bank employee father. She began her professional life as a stunt woman. Paramount signed her as an actress in the 1950s, and her first leading role was as Sylvia Van Buren in that studio's 1953 film, The War of the Worlds, a role she reprised 35 years later in three episodes of the War of the Worlds television series.

Her career as a leading woman was effectively ended when she eloped to Mexico to marry matador Jaime Bravo, with whom she had two sons, Jaime Jr. and Estefan A. Since then she has played minor roles, mainly in science fiction films (City Beneath the Sea, Rocky Jones: Space Ranger, Midnight Movie Massacre, The Naked Monster). The couple divorced in 1967. Bravo died in an automobile accident in 1970. She married real estate broker Joseph Valdez in 1987. Robinson makes frequent guest appearances at autograph shows and science fiction conventions. She had a cameo appearance in Steven Spielberg's 2005 film War of the Worlds. (bio from Wikipedia)

**blackv8** · May 18th, 2009, 01:36 AM

The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on screen depiction of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name. Produced by George Pal, it was the first of several adaptations of Wells' work to be filmed by Pal, and is considered to be one of the great science fiction films of the 1950s. It won an Oscar for its special effects. (from Wikipedia)

Okay, this movie is a childhood favorite from late-night TV, but more for the ambitious effects than for the ladies. Ann Robinson is quite lovely in that '50s big hair and tight sweater way; she's easy to look at. Her performance, however, would be hard to exaggerate or spoof- it's so over the top already. Her character (Sylvia Van Buren) teaches at a local college, but you would never know she had such a position if it wasn't in the dialogue. She spends her time doing two things in this movie:

Freaking out (with a capital "F")!

And serving coffee to the menfolk.

I'm not sure if the fifties audiences required the lead actress to be so subservient on order to like her, or if the movie studios just routinely underestimated their audience. But it's hard to believe that there was ever a time when this didn't seem a little silly and patronizing. Ah well. Maybe that's why when Spielberg remade the film, there was no lead adult female role- it was replaced by a ten year old who could freak out every bit as much as Ann did, and not seem unbelievable. Also, Spielberg inserted Ann Robinson and her 1953 costar Gene Barry in his film in a small cameo at the end.

~~rodak~~ · November 2nd, 2010, 08:25 PM

War of the Worlds.

~~rodak~~ · April 3rd, 2011, 10:45 PM

color.

~~rodak~~ · June 19th, 2011, 01:27 AM

~~rodak~~ · February 18th, 2012, 01:27 AM

Huge Pic.

~~rodak~~ · February 19th, 2012, 10:45 PM

~~rodak~~ · February 26th, 2012, 01:16 AM

~~rodak~~ · October 3rd, 2012, 09:30 PM

color added

~~rodak~~ · November 26th, 2012, 10:31 PM

May 18th, 2009, 12:09 AM	#1
blackv8 Vintage Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Up on the roof signaling with a flashlight Posts: 1,701 Thanks: 15,777 Thanked 53,116 Times in 1,834 Posts	Ann Robinson Ann Robinson (born May 25, 1935) is an American actress. Robinson was born in Hollywood, California to a bank employee father. She began her professional life as a stunt woman. Paramount signed her as an actress in the 1950s, and her first leading role was as Sylvia Van Buren in that studio's 1953 film, The War of the Worlds, a role she reprised 35 years later in three episodes of the War of the Worlds television series. Her career as a leading woman was effectively ended when she eloped to Mexico to marry matador Jaime Bravo, with whom she had two sons, Jaime Jr. and Estefan A. Since then she has played minor roles, mainly in science fiction films (City Beneath the Sea, Rocky Jones: Space Ranger, Midnight Movie Massacre, The Naked Monster). The couple divorced in 1967. Bravo died in an automobile accident in 1970. She married real estate broker Joseph Valdez in 1987. Robinson makes frequent guest appearances at autograph shows and science fiction conventions. She had a cameo appearance in Steven Spielberg's 2005 film War of the Worlds. (bio from Wikipedia) __________________ Check out these unique threads" To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

May 18th, 2009, 01:36 AM	#2
blackv8 Vintage Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Up on the roof signaling with a flashlight Posts: 1,701 Thanks: 15,777 Thanked 53,116 Times in 1,834 Posts	Ann Robinson - Sylvia Van Buren in The War of the Worlds (1953) The War of the Worlds is a 1953 science fiction film starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. It was the first on screen depiction of the H. G. Wells classic novel of the same name. Produced by George Pal, it was the first of several adaptations of Wells' work to be filmed by Pal, and is considered to be one of the great science fiction films of the 1950s. It won an Oscar for its special effects. (from Wikipedia) Okay, this movie is a childhood favorite from late-night TV, but more for the ambitious effects than for the ladies. Ann Robinson is quite lovely in that '50s big hair and tight sweater way; she's easy to look at. Her performance, however, would be hard to exaggerate or spoof- it's so over the top already. Her character (Sylvia Van Buren) teaches at a local college, but you would never know she had such a position if it wasn't in the dialogue. She spends her time doing two things in this movie: Freaking out (with a capital "F")! And serving coffee to the menfolk. I'm not sure if the fifties audiences required the lead actress to be so subservient on order to like her, or if the movie studios just routinely underestimated their audience. But it's hard to believe that there was ever a time when this didn't seem a little silly and patronizing. Ah well. Maybe that's why when Spielberg remade the film, there was no lead adult female role- it was replaced by a ten year old who could freak out every bit as much as Ann did, and not seem unbelievable. Also, Spielberg inserted Ann Robinson and her 1953 costar Gene Barry in his film in a small cameo at the end. __________________ Check out these unique threads" To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. * To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

November 2nd, 2010, 08:25 PM	#3
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts	War of the Worlds.

April 3rd, 2011, 10:45 PM	#4
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts	color.

June 19th, 2011, 01:27 AM	#5
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts

February 18th, 2012, 01:27 AM	#6
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts	Huge Pic.

February 19th, 2012, 10:45 PM	#7
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts

February 26th, 2012, 01:16 AM	#8
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts

October 3rd, 2012, 09:30 PM	#9
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts	color added

November 26th, 2012, 10:31 PM	#10
~~rodak~~ Banned! Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 14,568 Thanks: 16,750 Thanked 271,165 Times in 15,267 Posts