u/HelloWorldLetsRide

My house was built in 1962 and the shower handle broke. I've been trying to find a replacement, but I am having a hard time removing the old handle. I removed the hex screw from the side and the phillips screw from the center, but the metal piece in the front does not want to come off. I called a plumber and he was unable to remove the old handle parts as well. Their recommended solution was to replace the valve, but that'd be a major project and the estimate was over $1900, which is a lot more than I had anticipated.

My questions are (sorry for so many questions):

• Is replacing the valve the only solution?
• If no, how can I get the rest of the handle removed? It seems like the handle is still connected to even though the screws have been removed.
• Even if I could get what is left of the handle removed, how can I find a replacement handle for such an old valve?