Ellen Kessler

Born: 1936-08-20

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.


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Sodom and Gomorrah

as Dancer
Released: 1962-10-04

Lot leads his people to a fertile valley adjacent to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, hotbeds...

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Complexes

as Self (segment "Guglielmo il Dentone")
Released: 1965-08-15

In the first episode, Quirino tries to conquer co-worker Gabriella. In the second episode, Prof....

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Erik the Conqueror

as Daya
Released: 1961-12-07

In the 9th Century, two Viking children, separated since their early childhood with one raised...

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Love and the Frenchwoman

as L'autre jumelle, un mannequin de publicité (segment "L'Adultère")
Released: 1960-09-16

The seven stages in the life of the modern Frenchwomen are disclosed by seven directors in a...

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Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol

as Lo
Released: 1958-12-19

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Dead Woman from Beverly Hills

as Tiddy Sister Nr. 1
Released: 1964-04-09

Detective C.G. begins to investigate the death of an attractive woman whose naked body was found...

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Canzoni, bulli e pupe

as Self
Released: 1964-05-29

In order to promote a plumcake an adman associates with a mad scientist who has found a way to...

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The Thursday

as Self
Released: 1964-01-24

It's the story of a day spent by Dino, separated by his wife, who sees his son Robertino after...

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The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina

as Tänzerin
Released: 1958-11-21

Sabrina is a beautiful thief, one who happens to have seven moles on her thigh, forming the...

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Rocco e le sorelle

as uncredited
Released: 1961-05-05

A Sicilian leaves for Milan, in search of fortune, with the four sisters he supervises fiercely.

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Maskenball bei Scotland Yard

as Kessler-Zwillinge
Released: 1963-08-23

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Vier Mädels aus der Wachau

as Hanni
Released: 1957-08-01

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Playgirl

as Self
Released: 1966-06-23

Alexandra is a model who comes to Berlin to rekindle an affair she started in Rome with...

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Mit Rosen fängt die Liebe an

as Lotte
Released: 1957-09-26

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Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies

as Milli
Released: 1962-05-08

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Die Zwillinge vom Zillertal

as Tänzerin
Released: 1957-09-26

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Tabarin

as Self
Released: 1958-05-21

Jacques Forestier, also a choreographer, an art decorator and a stage producer, is the very...

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Das Posthaus im Schwarzwald

as Cilli
Released: 1958-10-10

Rural comedy set in the Black Forest.

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The Count of Luxemburg

as Franzi
Released: 1957-12-18

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Der Vogelhändler

as Tänzerin
Released: 1962-08-02

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Der Bettelstudent

as Katja
Released: 1958-01-24

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The Magician

as uncredited
Released: 1960-08-24

In a Munich circus, Pierre, who has come to attend the funeral of his father, a famous...

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Solang es hübsche Mädchen gibt

as Ellen
Released: 1955-07-07

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Countess Mariza

as Rosika
Released: 1958-12-17

Paying a rare visit to her estate, a countess clashes with the man she hired to manage it.

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Scene of the Crime

as Mutter Bemering
First aired: 1970-11-29

Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss, crime television series set in various parts of...

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Wer weiß denn sowas?

as Self
First aired: 2015-07-06

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DAS!

as Self
First aired: 1991-01-02

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Markus Lanz

as Self
First aired: 2008-06-03

TV presenter Markus Lanz invites prominent guests and experts from all areas of public life to...

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Die Harald Schmidt Show

as Self
First aired: 1995-12-05

The Harald Schmidt Show is a German late night talk show hosted on Sky Deutschland by comedian...

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NDR Talk Show

as Self
First aired: 1979-02-09

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Bambi Awards

as Self - Laudation
First aired: 1948-01-01

The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented...

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Riverboat

as Self
First aired: 1992-01-03

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Dalli Dalli

as Self - Contestant
First aired: 1971-05-13

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Dalli Dalli

as Self
First aired: 1971-05-13

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Zimmer frei!

as Self
First aired: 1996-07-09

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Kölner Treff

as Self
First aired: 1976-01-25

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Die Pyramide

as Self
First aired: 1979-03-16

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Nachtcafé

as Self
First aired: 1987-02-14

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The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self
First aired: 1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...

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Discorama

as Self
First aired: 1959-02-04

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Lafer! Lichter! Lecker!

as Self
First aired: 2006-12-09

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Die Montagsmaler

as Self
First aired: 1974-01-14

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Boulevard Bio

as Self
First aired: 1991-08-06

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Stars in der Manege

as Self
First aired: 1959-04-11

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Balko

as Ira Adomeit
First aired: 1995-03-19

Balko is a German prime time television series broadcast on the private TV channel RTL. It is a...

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Inas Nacht

as Self
First aired: 2007-06-09

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Domenica In

as Self
First aired: 1976-10-03

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Auf los geht's los

as Self
First aired: 1977-01-22

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alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio

as Self
First aired: 1994-12-27

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Ringlstetter

as self
First aired: 2016-12-01

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Die Feste mit Florian Silbereisen

as Self
First aired: 1994-06-02

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Heut' abend

as Self
First aired: 1980-02-03

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The Danny Kaye Show

as Self
First aired: 1963-09-25

The Danny Kaye Show is an American variety show hosted by Danny Kaye that aired on CBS from 1963...

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Ein Schloß am Wörthersee

as Erika Strassberg
First aired: 1990-10-17

Ein Schloß am Wörthersee is a German television series.

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Alles Nichts Oder?!

as Self
First aired: 1988-04-08

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Lukas

as Ellen Kessler
First aired: 1996-03-03

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Starparade

as Self
First aired: 1968-03-14

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Auf eigene Gefahr

as Lucie Grindel
First aired: 1993-10-10

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Klimbim

as Self
First aired: 1973-07-24

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Am laufenden Band

as Self - Guest
First aired: 1974-04-27

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Musik & Gäste

as Self
First aired: 1976-10-18

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