orous . ▁Land ▁values ▁were ▁rising , ▁historic ▁pres ervation ▁was ▁still ▁an ▁ecc ent ric ▁notion , ▁and ▁" re development " ▁was ▁a ▁popular ▁civ ic ▁bu zz word . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁Bart ▁Ly tt on , ▁president ▁of ▁Ly tt on ▁Sav ings ▁and ▁Lo an , ▁announced ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁purchased ▁the ▁Garden ▁of ▁Al lah ▁Hotel ▁from ▁Be atrice ▁Rosen us ▁and ▁Morris ▁Mark ow itz ▁for ▁$ 7 5 5 , 0 0 0 . ▁Ly tt on ' s ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁property ▁included ▁raz ing ▁the ▁hotel ▁to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁main ▁branch ▁for ▁his ▁bank , ▁which ▁had ▁formerly ▁been ▁head qu arter ed ▁in ▁the ▁Can oga ▁Park ▁neighborhood ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Fernando ▁Valley . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁Ly tt on ▁hosted ▁a ▁fare well ▁party ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁the ▁hotel . ▁Among ▁the ▁at ten de es ▁was ▁silent ▁film ▁star ▁Francis ▁X . ▁Bush man , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁at ▁the ▁opening ▁party ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁Some ▁other ▁guests ▁came ▁cost umed ▁as ▁old - time ▁stars . ▁In ▁a ▁nod ▁to ▁the ▁hotel ' s ▁cre ator , ▁Naz im ova ' s ▁experimental ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁silent ▁film ▁Sal om é ▁was ▁shown ▁on ▁a ▁large ▁pool side ▁screen . ▁On ▁August ▁ 3 0 , ▁an ▁on -