Friday, November 30, 2007

Bagdad Theatre, SE 37th and Hawthorne, where it always looks like Christmas, thanks to this great neon sign

111907_bagdad_corner

Here's what McMenamins dot Com has to say about the home of one of my favorite neon signs in Portland:

THE BAGDAD THEATER & PUB - Popular pub and picture palace *** Now featuring Dolby Digital Sound! ***

Southeast Portland's marvelous relic of Hollywood's Golden Age is a stunning movie palace full of wonder and surprises. For nearly four generations now, the Bagdad's Mediterranean and neon persona and daily offerings of celluloid adventures have made it an icon of Portland's vibrant Hawthorne District. A movie hall of the best sort, the Bagdad's interior is an attraction unto itself with barreled arches, ornate, wrought iron fixtures, brilliant-colored mosaic work, and painted and stenciled Mediterranean designs and mythical characters. Kick back in the theater and enjoy a slice of pizza and a handcrafted ale during the show, or come early and enjoy dinner in the casual pub that fronts the theater. But be forewarned -- outdoor tables in the summertime may be hard to come by!

I found this for you at Wikipedia: McMenamins Pubs and Breweries is a chain of over fifty brewpubs, microbreweries, music venues, historic hotels, theater pubs and more. ... There are fifty-six McMenamins sites and many of its locations are renovated historical properties. ... nine are on the National Register of Historic Places ... a movie theater built by Universal Studios (The Bagdad Theatre and Pub.)

Just last night Leland and I were set to go see "The Bourne Ultimatum" there, but one of his roomies had a bicycle accident--he's fine now, thank goodness--and we had to go give him and the bicycle a ride home.

11 comments:

Olivier said...

il est beau ce cinéma, il a garde un look d'antan, j'aime beaucoup, cela change des megas cinémas.

It is beautiful this theater, he keeps a look of yesteryear, I really like this change of mega movie theaters.

Jim Klenke said...

That sign is neat, I bet the inside is just beautiful.

Gwen said...

The Bagdad Theater has an intriguing neon sign. It sounds like a great place for movies and its difficult nowadays to locate places where you can dine and watch cinema at the same time. The interior decor and architectural details must look amazing.

Andrea said...

I would love to see the inside of this place. Nice neon sign.

Dick said...

Very colorful. I'm glad you like the card, I couldn't find a Texel Christmas card. But I bet this is the only one you have from Texel.

Photo Cache said...

neon aside, looks like a nice local hangout where one can whet their whistle.

Waldo Oiseau said...

What an awesome place! We have something similar (Screenland Theater in Kansas City) ... but nothing like these glitzy lights!

Fénix - Bostonscapes said...

Very attractive exterior. That place must be a lot of fun. I hope they'll let you take pix of the inside when we go there to see a movie. :) (Just tell them you've got people from around the world waiting to see how the inside of their theater looks like.)

WendyB said...

When I'm reading the newspaper, I always think of Bugs Bunny asking, "What's in the bag, dad?"

AVCr8teur said...

I wonder if it looks just as nostalgic inside. I'm assuming this theater only plays older movies?

NorthBayPhoto said...

Beautiful.

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