Bagdad Theater

The Bagdad's original Kimball organ is now in the Galaxy Theatre in Guttenburg, NJ.

correct weblink now
http://www.mcmenamins.com/sales/pubs/bagdad.html

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.

The Bagdad shows up in the movie "What The #$%! Do We Know?." Several nice shots of the auditorium, lobby and marquee.
"What the #$%!..." is a wonderful quasi documentary with dramatizations of the mixing of quantum mechanics and spirituality. (!) Hope you can see it in a theatre rather than on video. Really hope it plays at the Bagdad.

Here is a link to some photos and history:
http://www.pstos.org/instruments/or/portland/bagdad.htm

Re: "a format it has maintained to this day, with one exception."

What was the one exception?

The "Related websites" link is now broken. It should be changed to
http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9

All of the venues that these folks run look fascinating! I wish we had them in New England.

A Kimball organ Size 3/12 was installed in the Bagdad Theater in 1927 at a cost of $16,500.

This is a 2006 photo of the Bagdad Theater in Portland.

Another photo of the Bagdad Theater can be seen here.

This is a 2004 closeup photo of the Bagdad Theater.

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.

One of my images of the BAGDAD
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/254583124

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

Here is a photo, possibly late 20s or early 30s:
http://tinyurl.com/yfca9h

Here is a recent photo of the Bagdad Theater.

This is a more recent photo of the Bagdad Theater.

Bagdad Theatre (added 1989 - Building - #89000099)
3708--26 SE Hawthorne, Portland
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Thomas & Mercier
Architectural Style: Mission/Spanish Revival
Area of Significance: Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater

Here is a 2007 close-up photo of the Bagdad Theater.

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."

The Kimball organ originally installed in the Bagdad Theater has been removed from the Galaxy Theater (now closed to be turned into offices) in Guttenberg, NJ and is to be installed in the auditorium of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Wayne, NJ.

Here is a recent night view of the Bagdad Theater.

This is a more recent photo of the Bagdad Theater.

Another recent photo of the Bagdad Theater can be seen here.

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

I like the facade. Besides, they're different angles, and one is at night.

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.

Bagdad Screen, a view from further back, an interior view, and some comfortable looking seats.

Here is an undated exterior photo:
http://tinyurl.com/2l87ah

Enough of those facade shots. Do you have any of the roof? :P

Google Earth?

I usually use Local Live, but Google Earth should also work. If you zoom in real tight, you might get a glimpse of the interior. ;)

Here is a recent close-up view.

This is a 2008 photo.

Several excellent color shots of the interior and exterior of the Baghdad for those of you who haven' checked out the McMinamens website

http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9&id=176#null

Click on the gallery link directly below the shot of the exterior

Another photo of the Bagdad Theater can be seen here.

This photo looks familiar to me. It is not a great photo but it is an old photo.

Bagdad Theater photo

The Bagdad Theater is on the right in this 1986 photo.

Here is another photo of the Bagdad.

This is the Bagdad in b/w.

1980 Photo

A 2009 photo is here.

Thanks, Phantom Screen. You're right on that one, but I noticed that an awful lot of stores and businesses seemed boarded up, or had soaped-up windows, which is another sign of a store or business that's folded.

Here we go again. I didn't post the above comment.

This is a July 2009 photo.

Here is a close-up shot of the Bagdad Theater.