Nellie Andreeva
JULY 26
QUESTION 1: On this day in 1896 the first permanent for-profit movie theater in the U.S. opened. In what Southern city was it located?
ANSWER: On July 26, 1896, the 400 seat Vitascope Hall, the first fixed-seating movie theatre in U.S. opened at 623 Canal Street in New Orleans. Admission was 10 cents. If you could spare an additional dime you could go behind the curtain to see the innovative Vitascope projector that converted still B&W photos into moving images up to a minute long, the very first technology that added motion to pictures. 128 years later the tradition continues.
The 1896 Vitascope movie projector in operation
QUESTION 2: On this day in 1972 one of the most iconic show business couples filed for legal separation. In 2022 and 2023 two successive individual biopics were released, each using one of their first names as titles. Who are the couple?
ANSWER: On July 26, 1972 Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley filed for legal separation after five years of marriage. In 2022 Baz Luhrman’s Elvis was released and in 2023 Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla hit theatres.
Getty
Priscilla and Elvis Presley leaving a divorce hearing together in 1973.
JULY 19
QUESTION 1: What is the first Basic Cable series to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama?
ANSWER: Mad Men which premiered on AMC on this day, July 19, 2007. The series, which ran for 7 seasons, went on to win the Drama Series Emmy for each of its first four seasons and is tied for the most Drama Series Emmy wins with four other shows that have earned four statuettes each, HBO’s Game Of Thrones and NBC’s Hill Street Blues, LA Law and The West Wing.
AMC
QUESTION 2: What teen comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ marked Paul Rudd’s film debut?
ANSWER: Clueless, which opened on this day, July 19, 1995. The movie, written and directed by Amy Heckerling, went on to earn $88 million worldwide. Alicia Silverstone starred and Rudd got his first film role.
Paramount Pictures