Jack Dunn

Jack Dunn’s skating career, like his life was a short one. Educated at Stowe School, and then Trinity College, Cambridge, he was still at school when, as a 16-year-old, he finished second in the 1934 British Championship to Graham Sharp, and was sixth in the European Championships. He was again runner-up to Sharp in the British Championship in 1935 and was fourth at the Europeans, after originally being placed third, but was relegated following an objection to the accuracy of the marking by Germany’s Ernst Baier was upheld. Dunn finished runner-up to the legendary champion Karl Schäfer, however, at that year’s World Championships. It was certainly a memorable 12 months for Dunn in 1935 as he went up to Cambridge that year, and also obtained his pilot’s license, all at the age of 18.

Dunn finished fourth at the 1936 World Championships and, after the Berlin Olympics, where he finished sixth, he turned professional and skated with Sonia Henie at ice carnivals in the United States. They were very close friends and were linked romantically. It was also thought that they would become the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on ice. Later in 1936, Dunn was offered a one-year film contract by Universal that was worth £6,500. Despite not making a movie for them, he signed a contract with Paramount the following year. He was lined up to make three Paramount movies; “Everybody’s Girl”, alongside Randolph Scott; “The Duke of West Point”; and a bio-pic about the legendary Hollywood star Rudolf Valentino, because of his uncanny likeness to the late star. Sadly, Dunn never made any of those films because, in July 1938, he contracted a disease associated with coming in contact with rabbits, and after just over a week in hospital, and four blood transfusions, he passed away at the age of 21. Ironically, he died on the very day he should have started filming “The Duke of West Point”. His funeral service at the Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills was attended my many movie stars, and one of his pall bearers was Errol Flynn. Dunn was laid to rest at the Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.