Bagdad Theater

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.

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

This opened on January 14th, 1927

Various photos of the Bagdad can be seen here, here and here.

Google Earth?

Simon, you might want to check out cinematour.com. They feature many theater “tours,” of which many have lobby and auditorium photos (including the Bagdad).

Cinematour and Cinema Treasures work very well together for the total picture. As was pointed out by another poster on another theater page, Cinema Treasures is primarily a cinema nostalgia site, while Cinematour aims to document via photos, every known (existing or not, open or not) theater in the world. It also features an entertaining forum.

Enough of the repetitious facade shots… some auditorium pictures PLEASE and thank you.

My wife and I enjoyed “Children of Men” at the Bagdad week-before-last. This theatre has a wonderful atmosphere. I would not call it restored, but certainly well-preserved and nicely maintained. The restaurant in the front of the building has fantastic muralwork which compliments, but doesn’t imitate, the intact decorative painting of the theatre proper. I would call the historic decorative style of the theatre’s interior to be “Islamo-Byzantine Meets the Book of Kells.”

A night time image of the BAGDAD.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/256453704

I visited the Bagdad for the first time in August. It is very majestic and beautiful. McMenamins has good food and skilled artists, however, I’m not sure how much original things were changed after McMenamins bought it. But what matters is that it’s still here and still running film. Great place.

Here is a link to some photos and history:
View link

There was a small screen around the corner from the Bagdad called The Backstage. Maybe 150 seats. A few sofa type seats too. Lotsa B pictures played at the Backstage. You bought your ticket at the Bagdad boxoffice though.