The theater was built and opened in 1927 as a movie palace with East Indian decor.

[2] Designed by Gustave A. Dick and Alex Bauer, the theater has two minaret towers, three stained glass chandeliers, several hand-drawn murals, six bigger-than-life Buddhas, dozens of original draperies, eight porcelain lions, and hundreds of elephants.

'[5] As a part of the Black Cat Alley installation, French artist MTO painted a large mural of a green frog entitled "MTO's Bug" on the south wall of the theater, facing Kenilworth Avenue.

'[6] The theater building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.

[7] In July 2017, Milwaukee Film purchased the theater and began running it as a non-profit.