UMVA has learned that beloved actress Ann Robinson, the iconic face of the 1953 classic *The War of the Worlds*, quietly slipped away at 96.
Robinson’s granddaughter disclosed that the star passed peacefully on September 26, 2025, in her Los Angeles home, surrounded by family.
Before dazzling audiences, she honed her craft as a fearless stuntwoman, leaping into danger long before she earned her place on the silver screen.
Her breakthrough came as Sylvia Van Buren, the sharp‑witted librarian who teams up with Gene Barry’s professor to outwit merciless Martians—a role that cemented her place in sci‑fi legend.
The film’s groundbreaking visual effects, crowned with an Academy Award, still haunt viewers with the memory of a scorching heat ray that could annihilate entire cities.
In 2011, the movie earned a spot in the National Film Registry, a testament to its enduring cultural impact and artistic brilliance.
When Steven Spielberg revisited the saga in 2005, Robinson returned to the set, sharing a cameo with Barry as the grandparents of Tom Cruise’s on‑screen children, a moment she described as feeling like Hollywood royalty.
Beyond the Martian showdown, Robinson graced television’s golden age, leaving memorable imprints on shows such as *Dragnet*, *Perry Mason*, *Alfred Hitchcock Presents*, and even the whimsical shores of *Gilligan’s Island*.
She leaves behind her son, Jaime Bravo Jr., and two cherished grandchildren, who will carry forward the legacy of a woman who dared to leap, both on set and in the hearts of fans worldwide.
