Partner Steven Lee
Queer Places:
42225 Stonewood Rd, Temecula, CA 92591
Verdell
A. "Satch" LaValley (April 28, 1932 - December 16, 1999) helped produce the
first exhibit of early movie costumes at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
and co-authored the exhibit book Hollywood in History. According to LaValley,
"Howard Greer was beyond ebing
affected by old-fashioned morals. He was always at ease with what he was. He
never had a problem and couldn't understand anyone who did."
Verdell A. "Satch" LaValley was born on April 28, 1932, in Underwood, MN, the son of Perley Alfred LaValley (1906–1969) and Lilac Dorothy Olson (1912–1992). He lived in Lake Elsinore for four years. He graduated from Battle Lake High School and attended Chico State College, graduating with a bachelor of arts in education. He earned his master's degree at the University of Minnesota and joined the faculty of Pine Island High School in Minnesota in 1955, where he taught English, literature and drama. He worked for Murrieta Elementary School, teaching English, literature and drama to 6th, 7th and 8th graders, retiring in 1984.
In 1970, MGM liquidated virtually its entire stock of costumes accumulated over 45 years. It started off by auctioning the most famous pieces (as in Wizard of Oz famous). Following the auctions, there was a three-week sale period of extras clothing, props and other items. “They sold photos, hats, shoes, corsets,” said Steven Lee. “You name it, they sold it. The place was a madhouse." Satch LaValley was an old movie buff with a photographic memory. He was able to see part of a garment sticking out from a jam-packed rack and know which star wore it in what movie. To his astonishment, LaValley found costumes worn by major stars that were mistakenly put up for sale with extras’ clothing. “They didn’t realize what they were getting rid of,” Lee said. For $25 to $50 apiece, LaValley got over 100 stars’ costumes. He later found photos of the stars wearing the costumes and was able to document their authenticity to increase their value. One of the costumes LaValley bought, but wasn’t able to document was a pink silk peignoir. He believed that Greer Garson wore it in the 1941 movie Blossoms in the Dust and he contacted her to see if she would help him document it. Garson lived in Palm Desert and invited him to her home. She immediately recognized the peignoir and confirmed that she had worn it in the movie to LaValley’s delight. Lee said LaValley wrote to Elizabeth Taylor about acquiring her white chiffon dress from the 1958 movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but she didn’t answer his letter. He had amazingly found the dress and bought it for about $25. He later sold it for $4,000. Lee said the dress had Taylor’s name printed on a tag inside it. Eventually LaValley decided to sell his Hollywood costumes. From 1979 to 1982 he sold them for higher sums than he’d paid for them. He took his profits and bought a huge collection of 1880 to 1945 vintage clothing, which he found in a Redlands antique clothing store. He paid over $7,000 for the collection that was really worth about $40,000 unbeknownst to the storeowner. LaValley continued to collect vintage clothing and amassed nearly more than 800 costumes by the time he stopped collecting in 1995.
LaValley died on December 16, 1999, from complications of diabetes, at St. Bernardine Medical Center. He was survived by his companion, Steve Lee.
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