▁▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁World ' s ▁Fair ▁on ▁Tre asure ▁Island , ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay , ▁attract ed ▁many ▁cele brit ies ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis . ▁Salvador ▁Dal í ▁pos ed ▁for ▁newspaper ▁photograph ers ▁in ▁the ▁bat ht ub ▁of ▁his ▁hotel ▁room , ▁with ▁a ▁lo b ster ▁on ▁his ▁head , ▁holding ▁a ▁cab bage ▁in ▁one ▁hand , ▁and ▁we aring ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁emer ald - green ▁g og g les , ▁and ▁C ary ▁Grant ▁stayed ▁in ▁the ▁hotel , ▁entertain ing ▁friends ▁with ▁scenes ▁from ▁No ël ▁Cow ard ' s ▁play ▁Private ▁L ives . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁attack ▁on ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁San ▁Francisco ▁became ▁a ▁major ▁trans it ▁point ▁for ▁soldiers ▁and ▁sail ors ▁going ▁to ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Theater ▁of ▁the ▁War . ▁The ▁sh ops ▁in ▁the ▁lo bb y ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis ▁were ▁turned ▁into ▁small ▁rooms ▁for ▁military ▁officers . ▁H undred s ▁of ▁soldiers , ▁sail ors ▁and ▁officers ▁dan ced ▁in ▁the ▁M ural ▁Room ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis ▁to ▁the ▁big ▁band ▁music ▁of ▁Harry ▁O w ens ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁Hawai ians , ▁and ▁his ▁vocal ist , ▁H ilo ▁H att ie . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁the ▁St . ▁Francis ▁played ▁host ▁to ▁twenty - se ven ▁deleg ations ▁att ending ▁the ▁found