Donna Williams, Floyd Welles, Jeff Welles, Sharrie Williams
Meeting Emery Shaver's nephew's, Floyd and Jeff Welles for the first time, was quite unexpected and pretty close to a miracle. I had searched but could never find Emery's family, then out of the blue, Jeff Wells, heard I was presenting for the Laguna Beach Playhouse and contacted me. The incredible coincidence was, he lived down the street from my father's home in Newport Beach. Our meeting brought more stories, personal letters and pictures from the Villa Valentino. Here are a few I'd like to share with you.
Maybelline's Tom Lyle Williams at the entrance his Villa Valentino.in the early 1940s
If you look closely you'll see the words Villa Valentino written in the bricks with theaddress number 6776
Tom Lyle Williams and Emery Shaver at the Villa Valentino in the Hollywood Hills
The Villa Valentino, named after the Silent Film Star Rudolph Valentino.
An excerpt from a letter written by Emery Shaver dated Tuesday, August 27, 1946 to his sister Betty Cardell.
The Villa is all spruced up and looks more beautiful than ever. We have a new houseman now, a Swedish fellow, and he is very neat and clean, as well as a very good cook, so the future looks bright for a while. Don't know how long we have to enjoy the Villa, as the highway I spoke of some time ago is now definitely set to come through our property, but whether this year or next is not yet revealed. It seems such a pity when we have worked so hard to get everything here just as we like it. Don't know where we will go, but possibly to Laguna Beach or La Jolla, towns south of here, on the sea.
More pictures of the Villa Valentino this week.
