Ellen Kessler
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Scene of the Crime
Mutter Bemering
1970
Series
Markus Lanz
Self
2008
Series
Die Harald Schmidt Show
Self
1995
Series
Kölner Treff
Self
1976
Series
DAS!
Self
1991
Series
NDR Talk Show
Self
1979
Series
Bambi
Self - Laudation
1948
Series
Wer weiß denn sowas?
Self
2015
Series
Eurovision Song Contest
Self - Contestant
1956
Series
Riverboat
Self
1992
Series
Nachtcafé
Self
1987
Series
Numéro un
Self
1975
Series
Die Montagsmaler
Self
1974
Series
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Series
Dalli Dalli
Self - Contestant
1971
Series
Dalli Dalli
Self
1971
Series
Ringlstetter
self
2016
Series
Inas Nacht
Self
2007
Alpha Forum
Self
1998
Series
Zimmer frei!
Self
1996
Menschen bei Maischberger
Self
2003
Series
alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio
Self
1994
Menschen der Woche
Self
2000
Series
The Danny Kaye Show
Self
1963
Series
Discorama
Self
1959
Series
Domenica In
Self
1976
Aeschbacher
Self
2001
Zum blauen Bock
Self
1957
Series
Boulevard Bio
Self
1991
Series
Lafer! Lichter! Lecker!
Self
2006
Series
Stars in the Ring
Self
1959
Series
Balko
Ira Adomeit
1995
Series
Auf los geht's los
Self
1977
Series
Heut' abend
Self
1980
Wortwechsel
Self
1982
Series
Die Feste mit Florian Silbereisen
Self
1994
Die Pyramide
Self
1979
Series
Ein Schloß am Wörthersee
Erika Strassberg
1990
Versteckte Kamera
Self
1995
Menschen
Self
1982
Pssst ...
Self
1990
Lebens-Künstler
Self
1995
Series
Lukas
Ellen Kessler
1996
Film
Countess Mariza
Rosika
1958
Mini Playback Show
Self
1990
Series
Auf eigene Gefahr
Lucie Grindel
1993
Series
Klimbim
Self
1973
Series
Music & Guests
Self
1976
Showgeschichten
Self
1986
Series
Am laufenden Band
Self - Guest
1974
Alles Liebe V.I.P.
Self
2000
Series
Alles Nichts Oder?!
Self
1988
Series
Starparade
Self
1968
Film
Sodom and Gomorrah
Dancer
1962
Bio’s Bahnhof
Self
1978
Wieder zurück: Siegfried Arno - Eine Musik-Show aus Studio 3
Self
1962
Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten
Self
1969
Night-Club
Self
1968
Film
Scherben bringen Glück
Flora Fleuron
1957
Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Die Michael Schanze Jubiläumsgala
Self
2005
Wünsch dir was
Self
1969
Ein roter Teppich für....
Self
2002
Film
Just a Gigolo
Dancer (uncredited)
1978
Perpetuum Musicale - Eine Revue ohne Aufenthalt
Self
1963
Hätten Sie heut’ Zeit für mich?
Self
1972
Film
The Magician
Hildegarde
1960
Die verflixte 7
Self
1984
Film
Complexes
Self (segment "Guglielmo il Dentone")
1965
Anneliese Rothenberger gibt sich die Ehre
Self
1971
Hotel Victoria
Self
1961
Film
Erik the Conqueror
Daya
1961
Film
Der Vogelhändler
Tänzerin
1962
Filmlegenden. Deutsch
Self
2006
Heimat - Deine Filme
Self
2008
8 x 1 in Noten
Self
1973
Film
Love and the Frenchwoman
L'autre jumelle, un mannequin de publicité (segment "L'Adultère")
1960
Show - Charme - Chansons
Self
1965
Die Caterina-Valente-Show
Self
1966
Film
Playgirl
Self
1966
Continental Showcase
Self
1966
Film
Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies
Milli
1962
Film
The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina
Tänzerin
1958
Ein Leben wie im Flug
Self
2007
Film
The Thursday
Self
1964
Series
Die diebischen Zwillinge
Kathy
1971
Festival der Stars
Self
1969
Lieben Sie Show ?
Self - Host
1962
Film
Andere Zeiten - andere Sitten
Self
1967
Film
Dead Woman from Beverly Hills
Tiddy Sister Nr. 1
1964
Johannes Heesters: Eine Legende wird 100
Self
2003
Film
Rocco e le sorelle
1961
Film
Die Zwillinge vom Zillertal
Tänzerin
1957
Film
Vier Mädels aus der Wachau
Hanni
1957
Film
Tabarin
Self
1958
Film
Maskenball bei Scotland Yard
Kessler-Zwillinge
1963
Film
Der Bettelstudent
Katja
1958
Paris nach Noten
Self
1968
Film
Songs, Bullies and Chicks
Self
1964
Film
Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol
Lo
1958
Film
The Count of Luxemburg
Franzi
1957
Film
Mit Rosen fängt die Liebe an
Lotte
1957
Film
Solang es hübsche Mädchen gibt
Ellen
1955
Film
Das Posthaus im Schwarzwald
Cilli
1958
Alice und Ellen
Self
1971
Treffpunkt Herz
Gast
1975
Die lachende Dritte
Ellen
1961