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Portland theater scene
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
May 13, 2008 at 7:48 am
PORTLAND, OR — This article in OregonLive discusses the single-screen scene in the area with special focus on the 1920’s Moreland Theatre.
The Moreland is just one of the vintage neighborhood movie theaters on Portland’s east side that still draw customers in an age of multiplexes, rentals, video on demand and “living room” theaters. Portlanders, unusually devoted to their neighborhood theaters, go to the Bagdad, the Hollywood, the Clinton Street Theater and others to mingle with neighbors, marvel at the theaters' ornate beauty and taste a simpler time.
“Portland’s a pretty good city when it comes to maintaining vintage movie theaters,” says Ross Melnick, a 33-year-old movie industry veteran studying for a doctorate in film history at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Comments (2)
From my one visit to Portland, I can attest to the myriad neighborhood theaters there. My wife lived there while in college, and we visited the area last year. I had an agenda to photograph and attend several of the best-known theaters, and we did so, but then we kept stumbling upon others. When we got home, I found there were STILL a number we’d missed! Portland really stands out in this department. Long may it do so.
Not too far from Portland is the pride and joy of Salem’s historic and magnificent Elsinore Theatre. They have a wonderful silent film program on Wednesdays plus live Wurlitzer organ accompanyment.
Nearby, in Newberg, is another veteran and lovely single screener, the Cameo Theatre. And across the valley in Silverton is yet one more cinema to watch the latest release; the Palace Theatre. They, too, have an organ!