Ellen Kessler
Alice and Ellen Kessler (born 20 August 1936 in Nerchau, Saxony, Germany) are twin entertainers known in Europe, especially Germany and Italy, from the 1950s and 1960s for their singing, dancing, and acting. They are usually credited as the Kessler Twins (Die Kessler-Zwillinge in Germany and Le Gemelle Kessler in Italy), where they remain popular.
The Kessler sisters enjoyed a significant degree of popularity in the US, appearing on national television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show. The Kesslers made their American television debut on the CBS variety show, The Red Skelton Hour. They also appeared in the 1963 film Sodom and Gomorrah as dancers and were featured on the cover of Life Magazine that same year.
Their parents, Paul and Elsa, sent them to ballet classes at the age of six, and they joined the Leipzig Opera's child ballet program at age 11. When they were 18, their parents used a visitor's visa to escape to West Germany, where they performed at the Palladium in Düsseldorf. They performed at The Lido in Paris between 1955 and 1960, where they met Elvis Presley, on leave from the Army on June 17, 1959, and represented West Germany in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in 8th place with Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n (Tonight we want to go dancing).
They moved to Italy in 1960 and gradually moved to more serious roles. They became very popular thanks to the RAI television variety show Studio Uno (1961–1966). At the age of 40, they agreed to pose on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy. That issue became the fastest-selling Italian Playboy to that date.
They moved back to Germany in 1986 and live in Grünwald. They have received two awards from both the German and Italian governments for promoting German-Italian cooperation through their work in show business.
Source: Article "Kessler Twins" from Wikipedia in english, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Acted in
Wer weiß denn sowas?
2015
as Self
Heimat - Deine Filme
2008
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Ein Leben wie im Flug
2007
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Filmlegenden. Deutsch
2006
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Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Die Michael Schanze Jubiläumsgala
2005
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Filmlegenden. Deutsch
2005
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Johannes Heesters: Eine Legende wird 100
2003
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Lukas
1996
as Ellen Kessler
Die Harald Schmidt Show
1995
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Versteckte Kamera
1995
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Balko
1995
as Ira Adomeit
Auf eigene Gefahr
1993
as Lucie Grindel
Mini Playback Show
1990
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Ein Schloß am Wörthersee
1990
as Erika Strassberg
Pssst ...
1990
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Alles Nichts Oder?!
1988
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Die verflixte 7
1984
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Menschen
1982
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Die Pyramide
1979
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Auf los geht's los
1977
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Musik & Gäste
1976
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Treffpunkt Herz
1975
as Gast
Numéro un
1975
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Am laufenden Band
1974
as Self - Guest
Die Montagsmaler
1974
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Klimbim
1973
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8 x 1 in Noten
1973
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Hätten Sie heut’ Zeit für mich?
1972
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Anneliese Rothenberger gibt sich die Ehre
1971
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Dalli Dalli
1971
as Self - Contestant
Dalli Dalli
1971
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Die diebischen Zwillinge
1971
as Kathy
Scene of the Crime
1970
as Mutter Bemering
Wünsch dir was
1969
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Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten
1969
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Andere Zeiten - andere Sitten
1967
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Die Caterina-Valente-Show
1966
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Playgirl
1966
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Continental Showcase
1966
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Complexes
1965
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Canzoni, bulli e pupe
1964
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Dead Woman from Beverly Hills
1964
as Tiddy Sister Nr. 1
The Thursday
1964
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The Danny Kaye Show
1963
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Maskenball bei Scotland Yard
1963
as Kessler-Zwillinge
Lieben Sie Show ?
1962
as Self - Host
Sodom and Gomorrah
1962
as Dancer
Der Vogelhändler
1962
as Tänzerin
Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies
1962
as Milli
Erik the Conqueror
1961
as Daya
Die lachende Dritte
1961
as Ellen
Rocco e le sorelle
1961
Hotel Victoria
1961
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Love and the Frenchwoman
1960
as L'autre jumelle, un mannequin de publicité (L'Adultère)
The Magician
1960
Stars in der Manege
1959
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Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol
1958
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Countess Mariza
1958
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The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina
1958
as Tänzerin
Das Posthaus im Schwarzwald
1958
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Tabarin
1958
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Der Bettelstudent
1958
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The Count of Luxemburg
1957
as Franzi
Mit Rosen fängt die Liebe an
1957
as Lotte
Die Zwillinge vom Zillertal
1957
as Tänzerin
Vier Mädels aus der Wachau
1957
as Hanni
Scherben bringen Glück
1957
as Flora Fleuron
Solang es hübsche Mädchen gibt
1955
as Ellen
Bambi Awards
1948
as Self - Laudation