Described when it opened as being of Greek Moderne style, this architecturally modest theater presented stage and film productions, seating 1,500 all on one level. Major renovations took place in the 1960s and again when the theater was divided into two auditoriums in 1977. Although renamed the NuWilshire when taken over by Landmark Theaters, the neon sign still declares the building to be the Wilshire Theatre.

The site closed in November 2007. In 2008, the theatre was unanimously voted by the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission to become a designated landmark, and the building's facade is to be unaltered no matter what the use of the building is in the future. The owner of the site intends to remodel the interior for retail use, though the space has yet to be leased.