The Bagdad Theatre is a
movie theater
A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall (Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
in the
Hawthorne District of
Portland,
Oregon,
United States. It originally opened in 1927 and was the site of the gala premiere of ''
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to:
* ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey
* ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas
* ''One Flew Over the ...
'' in 1975, and of ''
My Own Private Idaho
''My Own Private Idaho'' is a 1991 American independent adventure drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant, loosely based on Shakespeare's ''Henry IV, Part 1'', '' Henry IV, Part 2'', and ''Henry V''. The story follows two friends, Mike ...
'' in 1991.
The theatre was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
It is currently owned by the
McMenamins
McMenamins is a family-owned chain of brewpubs, breweries, music venues, historic hotels, and theater pubs in Oregon and Washington. Many of their locations are in rehabilitated historical properties; at least nine are on the National Register ...
brewpub chain.
Description
The rectangular structure covers almost all of four adjacent lots that total less than . Resting on a concrete foundation, the Bagdad is made largely of
reinforced concrete covered with
stucco. Building heights vary from three-and-a-half stories on the north to three in the middle to five on the south. Partial basements underlie the north and south ends, and the structure is topped by a variety of
shed,
hip, and flat roofs of red tile.
Commercial storefronts, separated by a glassed-in theater entrance, face north and west on the main floor. Other exterior features include multi-paned
transoms, fanlight transoms, red tile hoods above windows, decorative molding, mock
rafter
A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associate ...
s, and wrought-iron
balconet
Balconet or balconette is an architectural term to describe a false balcony, or railing at the outer plane of a window-opening reaching to the floor, and having, when the window is open, the appearance of a balcony. They are common in France, Por ...
s. With a few exceptions, the exterior looks much as it did in 1927.
A lobby leads from the entrance toward the theater's viewing areas. Hallways, ramps, and the auditorium have concrete walls decorated in a style meant to suggest the interior of a building near the
Mediterranean Sea. Features include
trompe-l'œil tiles, ornate lighting fixtures, arched doorways, and
motifs involving
animal
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...
s and
legendary creatures.
History
Universal Studios spent $100,000 on the construction of the Bagdad, which opened in 1927. Thomas and Mercier, a Portland architectural firm, designed the Bagdad, which was built by Christman and Otis Development Company.
The theater's exotic exterior and its huge neon-lit
marquee competed with other movie houses, drive-in restaurants, and billboards of the 1920s in attracting customers' attention.
Moorish
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or se ...
, Egyptian, and
Mayan motifs appeared here and there on movie houses across the city.
The theater's interior included a large stage, a fountain, and
Middle-Eastern
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...
decor, and its female
ushers
An usher is a person who welcomes and shows people where to sit, especially at a church, theatre or when attending a wedding.
History
The word comes from the Latin ''ostiarius'' ("porter", "doorman") through Norman French, and is a cognate of ...
wore uniforms meant to appear
Arabian
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
. Early shows featured silent films,
talkies, a theater orchestra, live stage shows, and
vaudeville. Noted performers in the past included
Sammy Davis Jr., and the
Will Mastin Trio.
In 1975,
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
,
Louise Fletcher, and
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...
appeared at the Bagdad for Oregon's first showing of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest''. ''My Own Private Idaho'' opened at the Bagdad in 1991 after McMenamins renovated the theater.
In later years, the theater has hosted regular film series, like the "Midnight Movie" series organized by the hosts of cortandfatboy, in addition to book tours hosted by
Powell's Books. In 2013, McMenamins renovated the theater, which included a larger screen, a digital projector, new seats, and an upgraded sound system.
See also
*
Back Stage Bar
*
References
External links
McMenamins Bagdad Theater
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagdad Theater And Pub, The
1927 establishments in Oregon
Cinemas and movie theaters in Oregon
McMenamins
Portland Eastside MPS
Richmond, Portland, Oregon
Theatres completed in 1927
Theatres in Portland, Oregon
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon
National Register of Historic Places in Portland, Oregon
Portland Historic Landmarks