The Fabulous Alice and Ellen Kessler- The Kessler Twins!

They were show girls, dancers and singers. They were also twins. They are also very, very talented. They became international superstars- here is their story and fabulous campy must-see videos!

KESSLER SISTERS - Quando, Quando (Scopitone de 1963)

Alice and Ellen Kessler (born 20 August 1936), usually credited as the Kessler Twins (German: die Kessler-Zwillinge; Italian: le gemelle Kessler), are German twin singers, dancers and actresses popoular in Europe, especially Germany and Italy, during the 1950s and 1960s. The Kessler sisters enjoyed a significant degree of popularity in the US as well, making their American television debut on the CBS variety show The Red Skelton Hour and appearing on national television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show. They also appeared in the 1963 film Sodom and Gomorrah as dancers and were featured on the cover of Life Magazine that same year. Alice and Ellen Kessler were born in Nerchau, Saxony to parents Paul and Elsa Kessler. They were sent 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 East Germany, reaching Düsseldorf where they performed at the Palladium.

The Kessler Twins "I Say A Little Prayer" on The Ed Sullivan Show

They performed at The Lido in Paris between 1955 and 1960, where they met Elvis Presley on leave from the army on 17 June 1959, and represented West Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959, finishing in 8th place with "Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh'n" ("Tonight we want to go dancing"). In 1960, they moved to Italy, where they gradually moved to more serious roles. They became very popular through the RAI television variety show Studio Uno (1961–1966).

There is a movie which is heading towards Academy Award nominations called THE LAST SHOWGIRL. I saw it and loved it. The Kessler Twins are STILL huge in Italy, Germany and France. For showgirls to achieve what they have is very rare.

The Kessler Twins "When In Rome" on The Ed Sullivan Show

Alice & Ellen Kessler - La notte è piccola

This is a documentary about them (about 60 Minutes):

Enjoy synchronised choreography and singing from these talented twins. They escaped from East Germany and conquered Europe and the U.S.
Cool, campy and fun. This is one of my favorite performances of theirs:

New York, New York:

Boy From Ipanema, 1967 TV

Very few have gone from show girl to entertainment superstardom. And two of those few are The Kessler Twins. (I also place Elvira/Cassandra Peterson in this very rare category as she began as a showgirl). It was more common in the 20’s and 30’s for showgirls to transform into actresses, by the time of the Kessler Twins this had stopped. Until they came along.

Champagne Twist:

The Kessler Twins today, at age 88. You will not believe how beautiful they still are:

Behind the paywall: Marilyn’s first starring role as a burlesque dancer in LADIES OF THE CHORUS. And she actually sings in the film!