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.

Features include trompe-l'œil tiles, ornate lighting fixtures, arched doorways, and motifs involving animals and legendary creatures.

[4] 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.

[2] The theater's interior included a large stage, a fountain, and Middle-Eastern decor, and its female ushers wore uniforms meant to appear Arabian.

[2] In 1975, Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, and Michael Douglas appeared at the Bagdad for Oregon's first showing of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.