In June 1938, 21-year-old actor Jack Dunn stood nervously in a Los Angeles film studio, waiting for one of the most important auditions of his life. He had spent years trying to build an acting career in Hollywood, but nothing had worked out.
Now he had one last chance.
Jack was auditioning to play legendary Italian actor Rudolph Valentino, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the 1920s. To make the role feel real, Jack had copied Valentino’s appearance, clothing, mannerisms and even some of his habits.
But there was one detail that made his preparation especially unusual.
Jack was wearing a ring that had once belonged to Valentino.
Known as the Destiny Ring, the large yellow-stoned ring was surrounded by a dark legend. It was said to bring death to whoever possessed it.
Jack had no idea how closely that legend would soon become connected to his own life.
Jack Dunn’s Last Chance in Hollywood
Jack Dunn was only 21 when he found himself waiting for his final screen test.
He had moved to Hollywood from England hoping to become an actor. But despite years of auditions, he had not yet appeared in a movie.
Money was running out.
If he failed to get a major role soon, Jack feared he would have no choice but to return to England.
The role he was auditioning for seemed like the perfect opportunity. The film was based on the life of Rudolph Valentino, a huge star of the silent-film era.
Valentino had millions of fans and was regarded as one of Hollywood’s greatest male stars. His early death had only strengthened his legend.
Jack believed he had several similarities with Valentino. Both were tall and handsome. Both were immigrants. Both had athletic backgrounds.
But Jack knew that looking similar would not be enough.
He needed to become Valentino.
The Ring That Was Supposed to Change His Fate
For his screen test, Jack dressed in the style associated with Valentino.
He also managed to obtain a ring that had once belonged to the famous actor.
The ring had a large yellow stone surrounded by an ornate platinum setting. It had also acquired a dramatic nickname: the Destiny Ring.
According to the legend surrounding it, the ring carried a curse.
Jack, however, saw the ring differently. Wearing something that had belonged to Valentino made him feel closer to the character he was trying to portray.
As he waited for his audition, he repeatedly checked his appearance in the mirror and played with the ring on his finger.
Then the producer called him in.
Jack took a final breath, straightened his shoulders and walked through the door.
He had the role.
Jack Tries to Become Rudolph Valentino
After Jack was announced as Valentino, his life changed quickly.
The press began reporting on the young actor who had been chosen to portray the legendary star. But much of the attention was negative.
Valentino’s fans did not believe Jack was experienced enough to play their idol.
Thousands of letters reportedly arrived criticizing the casting decision.
Jack had dreamed of becoming famous, but he had never experienced the pressure that came with being a public figure.
The criticism made him determined to prove everyone wrong.
Instead of simply acting like Valentino on camera, Jack began copying his lifestyle.
He dressed like him.
He copied Valentino’s dance movements.
He even created a dance that he called the “Valentino rumba.”
Jack also began dating several women, following the image people had created around Valentino’s private life.
He was trying to become the man he was supposed to portray.
But this obsession would eventually have deadly consequences.
The Tick in the California Desert
In late June 1938, Jack traveled into the California desert to hunt.
Hunting had reportedly been one of Valentino’s hobbies, so Jack was once again trying to live like the man he was portraying.
While moving through the brush, Jack noticed something on his hand.
It was a tick.
The tick had not bitten him. Jack quickly crushed it with his thumb, pressing it against the Destiny Ring.
At first, it appeared that he had avoided danger.
The tick was dead, and Jack returned home.
But he did not realize that the tick had been carrying a dangerous infection.
How Jack Became Seriously Ill
A few days after returning from the desert, Jack began feeling unwell.
He struggled to concentrate. His condition continued to deteriorate.
Then one of his eyes became badly swollen.
His throat became painful, followed by a severe fever.
Soon, Jack became delirious.
His condition became serious enough that he had to put his acting work aside and go to the hospital.
Doctors and nurses tried to save him, but his condition continued to worsen.
Within about a week of being admitted, Jack died.
He was only 21 years old.
The Disease Behind Jack’s Death
The tick Jack had crushed was reportedly carrying tularemia, a rare bacterial infection that can be transmitted through ticks and other routes.
The disturbing part of the story was what happened after Jack killed the tick.
Although the tick had not bitten him, its infected remains were still on the Destiny Ring.
Later, Jack rubbed his eye with his hand.
The contaminated material on the ring was transferred to his eye, providing a possible route for the infection to enter his body.
The ring that Jack had worn to help him become Rudolph Valentino had therefore become part of the chain of events that led to his death.
Why the Destiny Ring Was Called Cursed
The story of the Destiny Ring becomes even stranger because its reputation existed before Jack ever wore it.
The ring was said to be cursed.
According to the legend, people who possessed it could suffer sudden and unexpected deaths.
Valentino himself was reportedly interested in objects connected to superstition and unusual stories. He did not necessarily believe in curses, but he was fascinated by objects that carried mysterious reputations.
That may have been part of the reason the ring attracted him.
But Valentino’s own death made the story much more disturbing.
He died suddenly at only 31 years old.
And according to the legend surrounding the ring, he died while wearing it.
The People Who Owned the Ring Before Jack
The Destiny Ring’s story did not end with Valentino.
According to the account, the ring passed through the hands of several other people before reaching Jack Dunn.
A radio star, a singer and a burglar reportedly possessed the ring at different times.
Each was said to have died suddenly while wearing it.
These deaths strengthened the reputation of the ring and helped turn its history into a story about a curse.
Then the ring reached Jack.
He was not only wearing it but also playing the same person who had once owned it.
His death added another disturbing chapter to the legend.
Was the Destiny Ring Really Cursed?
There are two very different ways to look at the story.
The supernatural explanation is obvious.
The ring was called the Destiny Ring because of its supposed curse. Several owners reportedly died unexpectedly, and Jack’s death seemed to fit the pattern.
But there is also a much more ordinary explanation for what happened to Jack.
The tick was reportedly infected with tularemia. Jack crushed it against the ring and later rubbed his eye with the contaminated hand.
That provides a possible natural explanation for his infection.
The ring itself did not need supernatural powers to cause harm.
It simply became the object that carried the infectious material from the tick to Jack’s eye.
Still, the coincidence is difficult to ignore.
Jack had deliberately worn the ring because he believed it connected him to Rudolph Valentino. He was trying to become Valentino in almost every way.
And in the end, the ring became connected to his death.
What Happened to the Destiny Ring?
After Jack Dunn’s death, the trail of the Destiny Ring reportedly went cold.
Its current location is unknown.
Nobody knows who owns it today or whether the current owner even knows about its history.
That uncertainty has helped keep the legend alive.
If the ring still exists, it may simply be an old piece of jewelry with an unusual history.
Or, if you believe the legend, it could still be carrying the same curse that supposedly followed its owners for decades.
Either way, the story of the Destiny Ring remains disturbing because its most frightening details do not require a supernatural explanation.
A young actor wanted to become a Hollywood legend.
He wore a ring that had once belonged to that legend.
And after a bizarre encounter with an infected tick, the ring became part of one of the strangest death stories in Hollywood lore.