Do you believe that items can be cursed? What if I tell you the Destiny Ring is believed to be responsible for at least five deaths? I’ll tell you the story of the Destiny Ring, and then I’ll let you decide.

It’s believed that Italian actor Rudolph Valentino, the Latin Lover, was the ring’s first victim. So, we’ll start with his story.

Rudolph Valentino

Rudolph Valentino was born on May 6, 1895. His actual birth name was Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla. Try saying that three times fast!

He grew up in Castellaneta, Italy. His father was an army officer who later became a veterinarian. He died of malaria in 1906 when Valentino was only eleven years old. Valentino attended a military school, but sadly, he was rejected from Italian military service. In 1912, At the age of seventeen, Valentino went to Paris in search of employment. He couldn’t find work, so he returned briefly to Italy, staying only until he had saved enough money to travel to New York City in 1913.

Valentino Moves to the United States

After arriving in New York City through Ellis Island on December 23, 1913, a nearly penniless Valentino managed to work at many menial jobs. However, he was often fired and found himself homeless and begging for food. 

Valentino’s East Coast Scandal

He eventually became a nightclub dancer and began a romance with Chilean heiress Bianca de Saulles.

The couple schemed how she would leave her husband. Valentino even testified for Bianca in her divorce trial. Bianca had a temper, which became evident to everyone when she shot and killed her ex-husband, John de Saulles. 

Valentino Goes West

At this point, Valentino decided it was time for his exit west. He found a new job, where he partnered with vaudeville performer Bonnie Glass and joined a national touring production. After the production shut down in Utah, young Valentino went to San Francisco, where he became a dance instructor. He had dreams and knew he wanted to become an actor in silent films (the first talking movie wouldn’t be made until 1927). His determination led him to Hollywood, but his acting career wasn’t an immediate hit. Often, he only managed to get small parts or the role of a bad guy.

The Latin Lover Gets Married

In 1919, he married actress Jean Acker. According to some accounts, Jean locked Valentino out of their hotel room on their wedding night.  Clearly, their marriage wasn’t meant to last. They divorced in 1921.

Valentino had read the novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Vicente Blasco Ibanez and wanted to be part of the film version. He discovered that Metro Studios had the film rights; he went to the studio intending to demand a part in the movie. Destiny was finally shining upon him, as the studio was actually looking for him! Screenwriter June Mathis had seen Valentino’s The Eyes of Youth movie in 1919. June wanted him to play the part of Julio Desnoyers, one of the lead roles in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. 

Valentino is Denied his Rise to Fame

The movie was a blockbuster, but Metro Studios wouldn’t give Valentino another chance at a lead role; instead, they only allowed him to star in a B-movie called Uncharted Seas. The movie was a flop, and the last movie Valentino did with Metro Studios. 

This gave Valentino the opportunity to go to one of Metro Studio’s rivals, Famous Players-Lasky. Destiny once again smiled upon him. He was cast in the lead role of Sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan in The Sheik.

Finally, he broke out and rose to stardom and fame. His dream had become a reality in his thirty-sixth movie. In this role, Valentino redefined “sheik” to mean an irresistibly attractive man or heartthrob. He embodied his nickname, the Latin Lover.

The Destiny Ring Finds Valentino

In 1920, Valentino was at a high point in his now-successful career when he spotted a particular ring. Some sources say it was in a pawn shop, others in a jeweler’s shop in San Francisco. All agree that the shop proprietor warned him that the ring was jinxed when he enquired about purchasing it. Also, the proprietor stated that the ring’s name was the Destiny Ring. It was rather simple looking, a gold band with a large, oval-shaped tiger’s eye gem surrounded by a braided gold cord. Despite the shop owner’s warning, Valentino bought it and wore it in his next movie, The Young Rajah. This movie flopped, and Valentino didn’t wear the ring again for two years. 

Valentino Gets a Second Chance at Love

Valentino had begun a relationship with costume designer Natacha Rambova while he was filming Uncharted Seas. The couple married in 1922. 

Valentino Arrested Shortly After his Second Marriage

Only a few days after marrying Rambova, Valentino was arrested. I can hear you asking, “For what?” Bigamy, y’all!! Wait . . . for what?

Turns out, at that time, California had a law that after a couple’s divorce, they each had to wait a full year before they could remarry. Since it hadn’t been a year since Valentino divorced Jean Acker, he was a bigamist. After Valentino was released on bail, the couple had to stay in separate apartments for another full year before they were able to remarry in 1923. I would love to tell you that the couple lived happily ever after, but they didn’t. Their marriage was extremely dysfunctional, ending in divorce in 1925. 

Valentino Fought Public Perceptions

Valentino was popular in movies, but the public and media perceptions of him were horrible. He did bring some of this on himself with his 1922 strike against Famous Players, his spoiled attitudes, and his effeminate nature that contrasted with American masculinity at the time.

Valentino challenged a newspaper writer to a fight after he was called “Pink Powder Puff” in an editorial. He responded with, “You slur my Italian ancestry; you ridicule upon my Italian name; you cast doubt upon my manhood.” The writer never answered. Frank O’Neill, another newspaper’s boxing correspondent, agreed to fight in the original writer’s place. Maybe Frank thought this would be an easy publicity stunt? I’m not sure, but I can tell y’all I bet he regretted it after. Turns out Valentino would win that boxing match.

I’m positive his trainer Jack Dempsey, the heavyweight champion at the time, played into his win. 

One thing I want to touch on briefly: Valentino struggled in his acting career for several reasons, but one was his immigrant status. The prejudices are evident today in some of his roles for his being “too foreign.” Y’all, he was a silent film actor. My head bows in shame. Valentino stood up to the prejudices for himself and other actors and nationalities. 

Valentino Loved His Dogs

In typical Valentino style, he had two dogs that he adored. Some sources say he had whole routines and rituals about their care. I don’t want to go too much down that rabbit hole, though, since it doesn’t help our story. But their names! His Irish wolfhound was Centaur Pendragon, and his Alsatian Doberman was Kabar. Remember the last one. It’s going to come back again in a bit. 

 

The Destiny Ring Takes its First Victim

While on a promotional tour for the movie The Son of the Sheik, Valentino had been wearing the Destiny Ring. He collapsed suddenly at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City. Valentino was transported to the hospital and found to be suffering from a ruptured appendix and perforated ulcers. He was quickly taken into surgery on August 15, 1926, but he developed complications. His doctors didn’t tell him his peritonitis infection, and pleurisy in his left lung would be terminal. Perhaps they thought that by not telling him of his grim prognosis, they were sparing him?

Believing he would recover, he asked the doctors if he was a pink puff to endure what he was going through. His last words to his doctors were, “Don’t worry, chief. I will be all right.” Valentino slipped into a coma and passed away at the age of thirty-one on August 23, 1926.

The Destiny Ring Becomes a Hot Potato

It seems Valentino had been dating a new starlet, Pola Negri, although it may or may not have been a real relationship. It’s likely that they were trying to generate more mutual publicity. Nonetheless, after Valentino’s passing, she picked his Destiny Ring as a memento to remember Valentino by. 

Pola Negri’s Time with the Destiny Ring

Who was Pola Negri? She was a Slavic singer and silent film actress born in Poland on January 3, 1897. She later appeared in talking films in both the United States and Europe.

Pola fell ill very shortly after she acquired the Destiny Ring. She suffered a miscarriage and then also suffered from gallstones.

She recovered her health but never went back to silent films. Next, she discovered her husband had gambled away her silent film fortune on risky ventures, which led to their divorce.

She gave the Destiny Ring to American singer-songwriter Russ Colombo. Some sources say that when she gave the ring to Colombo, she said, “From one Valentino to another.” Pola’s luck turned around, and she successfully resumed her acting and singing career. She became a United States citizen and eventually retired to San Antonio, Texas. She passed away on August 1, 1987, at the age of ninety. 

Russ Columbo’s Time with the Destiny Ring is Short

Russ Columbo was born on January 14, 1908, in Camden, New Jersey. He was a composer and acted in movies like The Texan (1930) and Wake Up and Dream (1934). His death is so strange it might better fit into a Final Destination movie.

He is reported to have been visiting the studio of a photographer friend, Lansing V. Brown Jr.  There was a heated argument. Brown struck a match against the wooden butt of a prop French dueling pistol. The flame ignited the charge in the pistol. The ball was fired. It ricocheted off a table and hit Columbo just above his left eye. He died less than six hours later, on September 2, 1934, in Los Angeles, California.

After inheriting all of Russ’s possessions, one of his cousins gave the Destiny Ring to Russ’s best friend, Joe Casino. 

Joe Casino Gifted the Destiny Ring

Joe Casino was aware of the curse of the ring. He thought that keeping it in a glass case would prevent anything untoward from happening to him. It was a solid plan and seemed to have been working. After years of keeping the Destiny Ring in a case, he had convinced himself there was no real curse. Three guesses at what he did next. Yeah, he took it out and decided to wear it, and a week later, tragedy struck. 

Full disclosure: there are two different versions of what happened next, neither of which I was able to verify. Let’s call this next part lore. Here goes. Joe either was hit by a truck, or he was in his car that was hit by a truck, and he died at the scene of the accident. 

The Destiny Ring Moves on to Del Casino

Del Casino inherited all his brother Joe’s possessions, including the ring. Del had the good sense to store it in a safe in his home. After some time, Del’s home was broken into, and he was robbed. The burglar, James Willis, had no idea that the alarm had already alerted the police. Willis was attempting to flee the scene when one of the officers fired a warning shot. The bullet struck Willis and killed him. And in his pants pocket was . . . yup, you guessed right, the Destiny Ring. The ring was placed back into Del Casino’s home safe. 

The Destiny Ring to be Featured in Upcoming Tribute

Film director Edward Small asked Del Casino if he could use the ring for an upcoming movie about Valentino. Del, of course, said yes. Edward asked up-and-coming actor Jack Dunn to wear the ring to portray Valentino. 

The Destiny Ring Takes Another Victim

John “Jack” Edward Powell Dunn was born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, on March 28, 1917. He was a figure skater who had competed in various championships during the 1930s and the 1936 Winter Olympic Games. He traveled with Norwegian skater Sonja Henie to the United States in 1936. Sonja and Jack were skating partners and on-again, off-again lovers. He parted ways with Sonja sometime in 1937 or 1938 (sorry, y’all, sources aren’t specific).

Jack had been hoping to make his way into acting. He was similar in appearance to Rudolph Valentino, and he began working with Edward Small to play the leading role in a movie to be based on Valentino’s life. On the day he was to start filming, he became very ill with tularemia, a rare bacterial disease spread by rabbits. Jack Dunn passed away on July 15, 1938, at only twenty-one years of age.

After Dunn’s death, the ring was returned to Del Casino. He placed it in a locked trunk, where it stayed until his death. After Del died, some of the valuables from his estate were moved to a bank vault. If sources are to be believed, this bank had multiple robberies and a fire that might be tied to the presence of the ring. There is also some debate about whether the ring has been stolen or might be in someone’s private collection. I don’t know. I wasn’t able to verify the ring’s current location or ownership.

Hauntings and Other Valentino Lore

Valentino is buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in a crypt donated by his old friend, June Mathis. His ghost is reported to be searching for the Destiny ring. People have claimed to see Valentino’s ghost pace the grounds, at restaurants, and even at Paramount Studios, as he searches for the Destiny Ring.

Remember Valentino’s dog Kabar, the Doberman? People claim to have seen him wandering around the L.A. Pet Cemetery, searching for his beloved master.

It Turns Out It Was a Publicity Stunt

This next part is interesting, if nothing else. It’s said that every year, on either the anniversary of Valentino’s death or Valentine’s Day, a “Lady in Black” shrouded by a veil goes to his tomb and leaves a single red rose. Some people believe the identity of the mysterious woman to be Ditra Flame. Ditra said Valentino once visited her in the hospital when she was only fourteen and very ill. Valentino gifted her a single red rose. So, Ditra visited Valentino’s tomb every year for thirty years. She passed away in 1996.

What a heartwarming story—if it were true. Decades later, it was acknowledged to be a publicity stunt.

Strangely enough, this stunt grew into a tradition that continues to this day. Many of Valentino’s fans continue to make this pilgrimage, though they don’t only leave a red rose but sometimes cards and other gifts.

Thoughts, Observations

I wanted to show readers that Valentino had issues before the ring as well as after. His life wasn’t all peaches and cream, not even after he achieved his dream of stardom. He was prone to scandal and didn’t have the best love life, despite being known as the Latin Lover. One of his quotes, I think, illustrates this well:

“The women I love don’t love me. The others don’t matter.” 

Valentino

With all the curious deaths that happened and the Destiny Ring gaining its own notoriety, I’m still on the fence about whether or not it’s cursed. If all the deaths were similar in nature, then maybe it would be more believable? But at the same time, if you look at two deaths from strange illnesses-ish—Valentino’s technically no, but to develop everything he did so quickly from a routine surgery? (This is the -ish part.) Two people dying from freaky gunshot wounds?

There are a lot of coincidences here, too many for me to get off the fence. I think it is possible that the ring is cursed. What about you?

More Questions

I’m extremely skeptical of the hauntings. Finding out that the “Lady in Black” was a publicity stunt has left me cynical. Granted, it was a committed stunt if it lasted thirty years. I don’t know. Have any of you visited the Hollywood Forever Cemetery or Valentino’s grave? If so, I would love to hear about it. I have never been. Maybe there is more I just don’t understand yet. 

We would love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this. You can comment here on the website or any of our social media pages. We are found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as @grimmingitup. We also have a new podcast on Spotify, iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play as Grimming It Up. If you like what we’re doing, please help us to grow by liking and sharing. 

Thanks for Spending Time With us!

Some final thoughts: First, we’re so glad you stopped by. 

Next, if you want to read on, we have some other creepy posts you might enjoy, like The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. Perhaps you might fancy a bit of the weird and strange? Then check out our post, Are the Poltergeist Movies Cursed?

Lastly, we hope to see you again soon.

           

Sources:

https://anomalien.com/the-real-story-of-rudolph-valentinos-cursed-ring/

https://www.biography.com/actor/rudolph-valentino

https://www.factinate.com/people/facts-rudolph-valentino/

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/valentino-dies

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173375/bio

https://www.olympedia.org/place_names/2624

https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/cursed-ring/

http://skateguard1.blogspot.com/2015/02/whodunnit-mysterious-death-of-jack-dunn.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Dunn_(figure_skater)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pola_Negri