Bagdad Theater
3702 SE Hawthorne Boulevard,
Portland,
OR
97214
3702 SE Hawthorne Boulevard,
Portland,
OR
97214
11 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
McMenamins (Official)
Additional Info
Operated by: McMenamins
Previously operated by: Universal Chain Theatrical Enterprises Inc.
Architects: John Bennes, Herman Herzog, Albert Mercier, Lee Arden Thomas
Firms: Thomas & Mercier
Functions: Movies, Restaurant
Styles: Moorish
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
503.288.3286
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Jun 7, 2014 — Mission Theater takes it up a notch
- Jan 18, 2014 — Portland theater renovations reviewed
- Feb 7, 2011 — Viewing the Oscars at the local theater
- Jul 9, 2007 — TRON...Happy 25th!
Built by Universal Pictures, in 1927, for a then-enormous amount of $100,000, this opulent theater was built with Middle Eastern influences that adorn the theater’s exterior and interior.
The Bagdad Theater was not only a first-run movie theater, but a key venue on the vaudeville circuit into the 1940’s. When television killed these stage shows, the Bagdad Theater switched to a film-only schedule, a format it has maintained to this day, with one exception.
The Bagdad Theater is now run by the McMenamin brothers who operate the theater as a one-of-a-kind second-run theater that mixes classic film and classic food. The theater is now a perfect place to eat some pizza, drink a beer, and see a great movie.
Contributed by
Tony Daniel
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Recent comments (view all 24 comments)
Here is an undated exterior photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2l87ah
Google Earth?
Several excellent color shots of the interior and exterior of the Baghdad for those of you who haven' checked out the McMinamens website
View link
Click on the gallery link directly below the shot of the exterior
Various photos of the Bagdad can be seen here, here and here.
The local residents and merchants are very lucky to have such a vibrant cinema in their midst.
This opened on January 14th, 1927
It’s grand opening ad is uploaded in the photo section for this theatre.
Their new official webpage has a couple good auditorium photos (one alternates with an exterior one at the top) – at http://www.mcmenamins.com/467-bagdad-theater-pub-history
Traveled to Portland over the weekend and caught Guardians Of The Galaxy at the Bagdad. What an incredible experience! The theater itself is beautiful with comfy seats, small tables for food and drink, a balcony, and nicely restored interior design. Can’t recommend this place enough…
The McMenamin chain has done well with the Bagdad. The theatre was never the biggest or most elaborate of Portland’s theatres, but it still has a charm all its own nonetheless. It’s size and fairly conservative decoative scheme made this one a reasonable target for mostly-authentic restoration. I say “mostly authentic” because the stage house and stage have been made over for use as a bar/pool table area with the original arabesque fire curtain turned around to serve as a backdrop for a spectacular brass-railed, turn-of-the century-wooden bar.