Ellen Kessler

Acting

Ellen Kessler

Born 1936-08-20 · Nerchau, Germany

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.

Acting credits

Sodom and Gomorrah poster
5.3

Lot leads his people to a fertile valley adjacent to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, hotbeds of vice and corruption ruled by the merciless Queen Bera. When Lot orders a dam to be busted in order to prevent the destruction of the cities by the attacking Helamites, the queen, in gratitude, allows Lot's people to settle in Sodom. Soon, however, the veneer of civilization begins crumbling as Lot and the Hebrews become corrupted by the Sodomites.

Sodom and Gomorrah

1962

Love and the Frenchwoman poster
4.9

The seven stages in the life of the modern Frenchwomen are disclosed by seven directors in a witty way: 1 - Childhood, 2 - Adolescence, 3 - Virginity, 4 - Marriage, 5 - Adultery, 6 - Divorce, 7 - The Single Woman.

Love and the Frenchwoman

1960

Countess Mariza poster
8.0

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

Countess Mariza

1958

Scherben bringen Glück poster
7.3

No synopsis available yet.

Scherben bringen Glück

1957

Complexes poster
7.0

In the first episode, Quirino tries to conquer co-worker Gabriella. In the second episode, Prof. Beozi ends up in a raid of the police in a local for homosexuals when trying to avoid a scandal. In the third episode, Guglielmo passes all tests in order to become reader of the television news brilliantly, although the commission works with all subtleness's to exclude him.

Complexes

1965

Just a Gigolo poster
5.0

After World War I, a war hero returns to Berlin to find that there's no place for him--he has no skills other than what he learned in the army, and can only find menial, low-paying jobs. He decides to become a gigolo to lonely rich women.

Just a Gigolo

1978

The Magician poster
6.6

In a Munich circus, Pierre, who has come to attend the funeral of his father, a famous illusionist, finds love in the arms of the beautiful Hildegarde. But he discovers that Hildegarde has a twin sister, Greta.

The Magician

1960

Der Vogelhändler poster
5.5

No synopsis available yet.

Der Vogelhändler

1962

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Paris nach Noten

1968

Erik the Conqueror poster
6.4

In the 9th Century, two Viking children, separated since their early childhood with one raised by the British and the other by Vikings, meet after nearly 20 years as rivals as war breaks out between Britian and the Vikings for control of England.

Erik the Conqueror

1961

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Show - Charme - Chansons

1965

Andere Zeiten - andere Sitten poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Andere Zeiten - andere Sitten

1967

The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina poster
8.3

Sabrina is a beautiful thief, one who happens to have seven moles on her thigh, forming the constellation Ursa Minor; this is the only clue German police have to solve a recent robbery. Teo is a photographer looking for a pair of beautiful legs to participate in a photo contest. When he secretly takes a photo of Sabrina's legs, including the telltale moles, Sabrina has to get it back at any cost, something which brings her into dangerous proximity with the smitten Teo. Romance and assorted hijinx ensue.

The Beautiful Legs of Sabrina

1958

The Thursday poster
7.0

It's the story of a day spent by Dino, separated by his wife, who sees his son Robertino after five years. Dino has not contributed anything in life and to win the affection of his son, invents a story about his past. At the end of the day however, he will succeed in establishing a positive relationship with his son and telling the truth about himself.

The Thursday

1964

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Perpetuum Musicale - Eine Revue ohne Aufenthalt

1963

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Johannes Heesters: Eine Legende wird 100

2003

Dead Woman from Beverly Hills poster
5.1

Detective C.G. begins to investigate the death of an attractive woman whose naked body was found in Beverly Hills. When he recovers her journal, he is taken into her past where he finds that she lead a sexually promiscuous life. Perhaps in the pages of the diary will be a clue to her killer's identity.

Dead Woman from Beverly Hills

1964

Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies poster
6.0

Operetta star Ulrich Hansen wants to return to his original profession as a doctor and announces his engagement to Regine Röders, the daughter of an industrialist, at his farewell performance. His stage partner and former girlfriend, Ilonka, isn't about to accept his decision to marry another woman without a fight. Jealous, she hatches a plan to prevent the wedding. Ulrich and Regine marry as planned and go on their honeymoon to Venice. Ilonka follows the newlyweds to Venice with her new admirer, Gustav Säuerling, and continues to try to break them up.

Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies

1962

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Festival der Stars

1969

No artwork available
NR

The celebration of Joachim 'Blacky' Fuchsberger's 80th birthday. A biographical documentary.

Ein Leben wie im Flug

2007

Songs, Bullies and Chicks poster
6.5

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

Songs, Bullies and Chicks

1964

Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol poster
5.8

The enterprising but chronically indebted factory owner Gustav Mummelmann meets the supposedly wealthy Tyrolean innkeeper Mariele through a marriage advertisement. To fund the trip, he once again takes advantage of his nephew, the record producer Peter Weigand. Peter accompanies Gustav to Tyrol to escape his persistent girlfriend Marion-Madeleine, who is pressuring him to marry her.

Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol

1958

No artwork available
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Treffpunkt Herz

1975

Tabarin poster
5.5

Jacques Forestier, also a choreographer, an art decorator and a stage producer, is the very competent manager of "Tabarin", a renowned Parisian music-hall. A hard worker, he always wants the best for the public, at the expense of his health. He is assisted in his task by his wife Rosine and his lively secretary Mimi. Chance has it that one of the dancers he auditions for a new show is Florence, his former lover. He doesn't want her in the show but the spiteful belle has a rich influential protector who imposes her anyway. Some time later, Jacques falls victim of a heart attack.

Tabarin

1958