The Army Air Corp Revue posed outside the Oriental Theater on SE Grand Avenue in 1941. The theater was noted for its intricate and elaborate design elements with heavy Asian influence, as well as superior sound and an early use of neon signs. It was demolished in 1970 and the site remains a surface parking lot today.
(Library of Congress)
Tags: Oregon, Portland, Weatherly Building, Wurlitzer Organ
January 31, 2013 at 6:43 am
Last Saturday I stood across from where this theater used to be, down on MLK waiting for the streetcar south to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. My, how I wished for the Oriental to still be there! I wanted to be able to see it in person–I moved to Portland in June, 2006.
January 31, 2013 at 6:53 am
I forgot all about this theater
January 31, 2013 at 7:07 am
I always think that the loss of the Oriental is one of the worst losses in the old East Portland area. It really helped its neighbor, the Weatherly Building, blend into the neighborhood and it would be amazing to still have that level of detailed decoration with us. The parking lot that replaced it always looks like a gaping hole to me – it’s definitely my least favorite parking lot on the east side.
January 31, 2013 at 7:10 am
I’d like to extol the virtues of Gary Lacher and Steve Stone’s “Theatres of Portland” from the Images of America series.
Wonderful.
Many images of the Oriental included.
January 31, 2013 at 7:21 am
Used to go there for movies with my family to see shows usually once a month. Was a great place. If my memory serves me right I think there was a pipe organ that was played before the movies or sometimes during
January 31, 2013 at 7:29 am
Wonderful picture that was taken back when you could leave your bicycle unlocked leanning on a sign poll and it would be there when you got back! There was another nice old theater along there that was demolisthe in the 80s dose anyone remimber what it was called mabe the Egyption ?
January 31, 2013 at 7:41 am
The Egyptian was further North on MLK ( Union Ave. ) at Russell St. The exterior walls, etc. of the theatre and the adjoining Fullers 24-Hr. restaurant were retained, remodeled and became a religious facility / church . The Egyptian was another late ’20 s ” mystical East ” themed structure around the film-era of Rudolf Valentino’s popularity.
In it’s last days, the Oriental was offering ” family plans ” for up to 5 adults & children could see a second-run double feature for $2.00 !! Great deal for starving student with kids and the out of the floor pipe organ was something to behold in itself.
January 31, 2013 at 9:04 am
As tragic as it is to have lost wonderful buildings like the Oriental, it does make me appreciate what we have that has survived even more. Great photo, and also a terrific snapshot in time.
January 31, 2013 at 10:27 am
Demolition of the Oriental is on the list of dumbest things done in the city of Portland.
I used to go there to hear the Portland Symphony Orchestra (what is was called then), I guess during the time the Civic Auditorium was being remodeled. It was beautiful inside.
I’ve seen pieces from the theater around town in a variety of different places. Can’t really remember where, but they’re around.
January 31, 2013 at 11:52 am
In the summer of 1954 members of Battery B, 218th Field Artillery ONG were employed as “extras” during the filming of To Hell and Back, The Audie Murphy Story during our annual encampment at Ft Lewis. Most of the action scenes were filmed at the Yakima Firing center but none the less we were part of several parade ground scenes filmed at Ft Lewis.
When the film was released in 1955 the “World Premier” was held at the Oriental and The some of the ONG units that had participated in it’s making were “volunteered” to be paraded down Grand Avenue and treated to the premier screening. I recall sitting in the balcony in my heavy wool class A’s and not much else.
Still, it gives me the right to tell my great grand kids that I was in the movies—sort of.
January 31, 2013 at 12:36 pm
We splurged and went to see Fiddler On The Roof at the Oriental when it first went on tour. Luther Adler played the Tevye role. An unforgettable performance.
January 31, 2013 at 12:39 pm
It still never ceases to amaze me how many posts on here end with “______ building was demolished and is still to this day a surface parking lot.”
And Portland has been moderate (by U.S. standards) with the destruction of buildings to build parking lots – imagine other U.S. cities!
I feel like this theater was a very particular loss, and I’m really sad to have never seen it in person.
January 31, 2013 at 6:22 pm
I recall the final years of the Oriental, It was still a grand building but it was showing its age and lack of upkeep. I’m afraid TV and radio killed the theaters, because now families could be entertained at home.
We can Blame a lot of developers or owners, but it is expensive to keep a building open and pay people to work for or on a building.
If my memory serves me, I believe they were stooping to Cheech and Chong and rock concerts in the end.
January 31, 2013 at 6:38 pm
08-16-1973 in the Oregonian
It says they moved the pipe organ to the Organ Grinder pizza parlor
January 31, 2013 at 8:32 pm
@ Dave
Amen. What’s even worse is we continue to knock down historic structures for new development instead of building on those said surface parking lots. Maybe if we had a tax on the value of LAND, and not improvements, the Goodman and Schlesinger empires that own all the lots would actually decide to build something!
We can do a lot better, Portland.
February 1, 2013 at 5:45 am
Select pieces of the organ now reside at a fantastic pizza parlor in Mesa, Arizona.!
February 1, 2013 at 12:31 pm
There is a nice Wikipedia page on the theater. It look s like the elaborate marquis was removed at some point and replaced with one not as exciting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_Theatre_(Portland)
February 1, 2013 at 10:07 pm
This type of thread always brings to mind Joni Mitchell’s song, “Big Yellow Taxi” ~they paved paradise, & put up a parking lot…..OOOH PA PA PA…..OOOH PA PA PA