#performer: Alice & Ellen Kessler

[eurovision-facts]

With twins returning to Eurovision this year via Azerbaijan, we need some twin participant facts: how many, the first (Germany 1959, both still alive), the sad story of Sophie and Magaly, the fact that Netherlands 2021 had twins, etc.

Eurovision Fact #337:

Germany's 1959 representatives, Alice and Ellen Kessler, were the first twins to ever perform in the Eurovision Song Contest. The duo is most famous for their dancing abilities, and have appeared in many films in the 50s and 60s. Their song 'Heut' Woll'n Wir Tanzen Geh'n' placed 8th overall.

The Kesslers started their careers in 1942 and are still active actors today.

The twins' were very popular in the United States in the late 50s and 60s, but remain heavily popular in their native Germany and Italy.

In fact, when they agreed to be on the cover of the Italian edition of Playboy at the age of 40, that edition of the magazine sold more copies than any other edition in history, and the record still stands.

[Sources]

Participants of Cannes 1959: Alice and Ellen Kessler, Eurovision.tv.

Kessler Twins, Wikipedia.org.

Alice Kessler, IMDb.com.

Ellen Kessler, IMDb.com.

'Perché le gambe delle gemelle Kessler erano il sogno di tutte? La vera storia delle dive della tv italiana,' elle.com.

[eurovisionsongaday]

And with this I have finally posted at least one song from every contest.

I’m always delighted by the songs from the 50s and 60s with obvious gimmicks. And the song is fun, too!

[mexicaneurolover]

Eurovision 1959 my top 11

And now with the 4th chapter, as we go way back to March 11th 1959, where the Eurovision Song Contest 1959 was held in Cannes, France after André Claveau’s win a year before. Monaco entered for the first time, the UK returned and Luxembourg withdrew, making a total of 11 countries competing for the title. The contest was won by The Netherlands with Een Beetje sung by Teddy Scholten. Let’s see now my top 11.

1st Place: THE NETHERLANDS/Teddy Scholten/Een beetje (Real Placing: 1st-21 points)

But this is an absolute delight to listen at. Maybe it was the first time an uptempo song won, and certainly is a well-deserved win. The performance is everything and she is so beautiful and cute. 

2nd Place: UNITED KINGDOM/Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson/Sing Little Birdie (Real Placing: 2nd-16 points)

The first of many runner-up positions for the UK and it’s a nice one to start this streak. They sound great together and the music is catchy and it’s one of the songs I remember a lot when 1959 comes up. The bird was such a nice detail and the whistling added the song a nice atmosphere. 

3rd Place: DENMARK/Birthe Wilke-Uh, jeg ville ønske jeg var dig (Real Placing: 5th-12 points) 

This is prettyful, her UH is classic and the music is nice, she is a great singer and her gestures are a delight to see. The orchestra makes this song big and that energy is contagious. 

4th Place: FRANCE/Jean Philippe-Oui, oui, oui, oui (Real Placing: 3rd-15 points) 

This is a nice song to listen, Jean Philippe is a good singer and the music is pretty good, but maybe the fact he repeats a lot oui bothers me a little bit. 

5th Place: GERMANY/Alice & Ellen Kessler-Heute Abend wollen wir tanzen geh’n (Real Placing: 8th-5 points)

This is one of my faves ever in the 50′s, catchy, maybe their voices were a bit off but the song itself is great, and the dancing interlude is enjoyable. Nice one from Germany. 

6th Place: SWITZERLAND/Christa Williams-Irgendwoher (Real Placing: 4th-14 points)

Such a cute song, and she has a nice voice, the orchestra sounds amazing on this one and it has a winter vibe that makes me feel cozy. 

7th Place: SWEDEN/Brita Borg-Augustin (Real Placing: =9th-4 points)

The song itself is amazing on it’s own, her voice is good but I think it didn’t suit the song, although her low notes are on top and make the song enjoyable, maybe Siw Malmkvist was a better option for this little tune. 

8th Place: ITALY/Domenico Modugno-Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) (Real Placing: =6th-9 points)

Don’t know what to think about this, the music is good, but maybe a bit mediocre, still Domenico’s voice is on top and he is an amazing performer. 

9th Place: AUSTRIA/Ferry Graf-Der K und K Kalypso aus Wien (Real Placing: =9th-4 points)

KALYPSO AUS MEXIKO!! An uplifting song and I don’t know what to think about this, love the yodel and the music. 

10th Place: MONACO/Jacques Pills-Mon ami Pierrot (Real Placing: 11th-1 point/last)

This is quite a weird song and it was hard for me to place it, maybe the tempo was the problem, but his voice is outstanding, but it’s not enough for getting a last place because for me it’s memorable. 

11th Place: BELGIUM/Bob Benny-Hou toch van mij (Real Placing: =6th-9 points)

Sadly this is one of the songs I don’t remember from this year, nice voice, but it’s the only remarkable thing of this song. 

[serafino-finasero]

The Kessler Twins (Alice and Ellen) performing on The Danny Kaye Show | publicity photo dated December 16, 1966, show aired January 4, 1967 | CBS Television

[mcbastardsmausoleum]

New from Arrow Video US in September! 

THE GHOUL [Blu-ray] and [DVD] (9/12)

ERIK THE CONQUEROR [Dual Format] (9/12)

A FISH CALLED WANDA [Blu-ray] (9/19)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN [Blu-ray] (9/19)

BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR [Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray] (9/26)

DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING [Dual Format] (9/26)

THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A MINOR [Dual Format] (9/26)

via MVD Entertainment Group 

  September's lineup from Arrow Video includes a unique Brit chiller, a Mario Bava masterpiece, an Oscar-winning British comedy classic, classic horror from Stephen King, a beautiful steel book, and two superb Italian thrillers,- in short, a veritable late summer feast for cineastes. First up this month is The Ghoul, an outstanding debut from writer-director Gareth Tunley, from executive producer Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Free Fire), about a cop investigating a series of murders who finds himself drawn into the murky world of the occult. Starring Tom Meeten (Sightseers) and Alice Lowe (Prevenge), The Ghoul is a unique and nasty slice of British horror cinema. In 1961, director Mario Bava (Rabid Dogs, Kill Baby Kill) turned his hand to the historical adventure genre, capitalizing on the recent success of 1958's Kirk Douglas vehicle The Vikings. The result was a colorful, swashbuckling epic of treachery, heroism and forbidden love: Erik the Conqueror. In mid-September is the Blu-ray release of A Fish Called Wanda, the hilarious and irresistible farce from 1988, starring John Cleese, Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline. A box office smash, nominated for three Academy Awards (winning one for Kline's outstanding supporting turn as the psychotic Otto), A Fish Called Wanda has stood the test of time and can be rightfully called a comedy classic. Featuring stellar performances from Linda Hamilton (Terminator) and Peter Horton (thirtysomething) and based on a short story by Stephen King, The Children of the Corn is a horror classic that has spawned multiple sequels and imitators, but none as harrowing as this masterpiece of horror. The success of Stuart Gordon's hit horror-comedy Re-Animator meant that a sequel was all but inevitable. The resulting follow-up, Bride of Re-Animator - this time helmed by director Brian Yuzna (Society, Return of the Living Dead III) - would prove that there was a good deal more life (and death) left in the story of Dr Herbert West and his ghoulish exploits. With special effects master Screaming Mad George (the man behind the infamous "shunting" sequence of Society) on hand to contribute a host of characteristically weird and wonderful creations, Bride of Re-Animator is a more than worthy successor to Stuart Gordon's original cult classic. Late-September sees the release of two superior Italian thrillers. First, deemed shocking at the time for its brutal violence, depiction of the Catholic Church and themes of child murder and paedophilia, Don't Torture a Duckling is widely regarded today as Fulci's greatest film, rivalling the best of his close rival Dario Argento. Arrow Video is proud to present this uniquely chilling film in its North American high definition debut. From Lucio Fulci, the godfather of gore (The Psychic, The Beyond), comes one of the most powerful and unsettling giallo thrillers ever produced. Second, the Dual Format debut of The Suspicious Death of a Minor, a 1975 giallo/'poliziotteschi' hybrid, from the great Sergio Martino (All the Colours of the Dark, Torso). With a cast that includes Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City), Barbara Magnolfi (Suspiria) and Jenny Tamburi (The Psychic), the lurid murder-mystery sees a cop on the trail of a Milanese criminal gang, and the Dual Format release includes a brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative, produced exclusively by Arrow Video. THE GHOUL (2016) 

Blu-ray and DVD (9/12)

From executive producer Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Free Fire) comes a mind-bending British psychological thriller to sit alongside such classics of the genre as Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell's Performance, David Lynch's Lost Highway and Christopher Nolan's Following. Chris is a homicide detective called to London to investigate a strange double murder. Both victims appear to have continued moving towards their assailant despite multiple gunshots to the face and chest. On a hunch, and with the help of an old colleague - and former girlfriend - Chris decides to go undercover as a patient to investigate the suspect's psychotherapist, the mysterious Alexander Morland, who has a taste for the occult... The debut feature of writer-director Gareth Tunley, starring Tom Meeten (Sightseers), Alice Lowe (Garth Marenghi's Darkplace) and Dan Renton Skinner (Notes on Blindness), The Ghoul is the latest standout addition to a thriving new wave of British cinema. Director-Approved Special Edition Contents - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation / Standard Definition DVD presentation - Original 5.1 audio - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing - Commentary by writer-director Gareth Tunley, actor-producer Tom Meeten and producer Jack Healy Guttmann - In the Loop, a brand-new documentary on the conception and making of The Ghoul produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release. Featuring interviews with Tunley, Meeten, Guttmann, actors Alice Lowe, Geoff McGivern, Niamh Cusack Rufus Jones and Dan Skinner, composer Waen Shepherd, and executive producers Dhiraj Mahey and Ben Wheatley. - The Baron, a 2013 short film with optional commentary by writer-director Tunley and writer-actor Meeten - Theatrical trailer - FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the film by Adam Scovell, author of Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange Specs Street Date: 09/12/17 Label: Arrow Video Run Time: 85 mins Audio: STEREO Director: Gareth Tunley Actors: Tom Meeten, Alice Lowe Territory: US Language: English ERIK THE CONQUEROR (1961) 

Dual Format BD/DVD (9/12)

In 1961, director Mario Bava (Rabid Dogs, Kill Baby Kill) turned his hand to the historical adventure genre, capitalizing on the recent success of 1958's Kirk Douglas vehicle The Vikings. The result was a colorful, swashbuckling epic of treachery, heroism and forbidden love: Erik the Conqueror. In 786 AD, the invading Viking forces are repelled from the shores of England, leaving behind a young boy - Erik, son of the slain Viking king. Years later, Erik (George Ardisson, Juliet of the Spirits), raised by the English queen as her own, becomes Duke of Helford, while across the sea, his brother Eron (Cameron Mitchell, Blood and Black Lace) assumes leadership of the Viking horde and sets his sights on conquering England once again, setting the two estranged brothers on a collision course that will determine the fates of their respective kingdoms... Featuring a bombastic score by frequent collaborator Roberto Nicolosi (Black Sunday) and memorably co-starring the stunning Kessler twins (Sodom and Gomorrah), Erik the Conqueror showcases Bava's immense talent for creating awe-inspiring spectacle with limited resources. Now restored in high definition for the first time, Arrow Video is proud to present this cult classic in all its original splendor. Features - Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations - Original Italian and English mono audio (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc) - Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack - New audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava - All the Colors of the Dark Gli imitatori, a comparison between Erik the Conqueror and its unacknowledged source, The Vikings - Original ending - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys - FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Kat Ellinger Specs Street Date: 08/29/17 Label: Arrow Video Run Time: 98 mins Audio: STEREO Director: Mario Bava Actors: Cameron Mitchell, George Ardisson, Alice Kessler, Ellen Kessler Territory: US Language: Italian A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) 

Blu-ray (9/19)

In 1988, John Cleese, former Python and the mastermind behind Fawlty Towers, teamed up with the veteran Ealing Comedy director Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob) to produce another classic of British comedy. Cleese plays Archie Leach, a weak-willed barrister who finds himself embroiled with a quartet of ill-matched jewel thieves - two American con artists played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin's animal-loving hitman and London gangster Tom Georgeson - when Georgeson is arrested. Only he and Palin know the whereabouts of the diamonds, prompting plenty of farce and in-fighting as well as some embarrassing nudity and the unfortunate demise of some innocent pooches... Nominated for three Academy Awards and winning one for Kline's outstanding supporting turn as the psychopathic Otto, A Fish Called Wanda has stood the test of time, earning its rightful place among its creators' remarkable comedy pedigree. Features - Brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation - Original English mono audio (uncompressed LPCM) - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing - Commentary by writer and star John Cleese - Brand-new appreciation by Vic Pratt of the BFI National Archive - Brand-new interviews with composer John Du Prez, production designer Roger Murray Leach, executive producer Steve Abbott and makeup supervisor Paul Engelen - John Cleese's Final Farewell Performance, a 1988 documentary on the making of A Fish Called Wanda featuring interviews with actors Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline and director Charles Crichton - Something Fishy, a 15th anniversary retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Cleese, Curtis, Kline and Palin, executive producer Steve Abbott and director of photography Alan Hume - Fish You Were Here, a documentary on the film's locations hosted by Robert Powell - 24 deleted/alternative scenes with introductions by Cleese - A Message from John Cleese, a tongue-in-cheek introduction recorded for the film's original release - Gallery - Trivia track - Theatrical trailer - FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the film by Sophie Monks Kaufman Specs Street Date: 09/19/17 Label: Arrow Video Run Time: 108 mins Audio: STEREO Director: Charles Crichton Actors: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin Territory: US Language: English CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984) 

Blu-ray (9/19)

A young couple travelling cross-country find themselves stranded in the small town of Gatlin, where they meet a mysterious religious cult of children. With no adults in sight the terror brews as the new arrivals find the secrets of the prospering corn fields and the children who inhabit them. Led by the mysterious Isaac and the unhinged Malachi the blood-curdling secrets of the children of Gatlin are soon revealed to their new 'outlander' guests. Featuring stellar performances from Linda Hamilton (Terminator) and Peter Horton (thirtysomething) and based on a short story by Stephen King, The Children of the Corn is a horror classic that has spawned multiple sequels and imitators, but none as harrowing as this masterpiece of horror. Features - Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation - Original Mono and 5.1 Audio Options - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Brand new audio commentary with John Sullivan of childrenofthecornmovie.com and horror journalist Justin Beahm - Audio commentary with director Fritz Kiersch, producer Terrence Kirby and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains - Harvesting Horror: The Making of Children of the Corn - retrospective piece featuring interviews with director Fritz Kiersch and actors John Franklin and Courtney Gains - It Was the Eighties! - an interview with actress Linda Hamilton - Return to Gatlin - brand new featurette revisiting the film's original Iowa shooting locations - Stephen King on a Shoestring - an interview with producer Donald Borchers - Welcome to Gatlin: The Sights and Sounds of Children of the Corn - an interview with production designer Craig Stearns and composer Jonathan Elias - Feeling Blue - an interview with the actor who played "The Blue Man" in the fabled excised sequence - Theatrical Trailer - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin - FIRST PRESSING: Collectors booklet featuring new writing in the film. Specs Street Date: 09/19/17 Label: Arrow Video Run Time: 92 mins Audio: STEREO Director: Fritz Kiersch Actors: Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton Territory: US Language: English BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (1989) 

Limited Edition Steelbook Blu-ray (9/26)

The success of Stuart Gordon's hit horror-comedy Re-Animator meant that a sequel was all but inevitable. The resulting follow-up, Bride of Re-Animator - this time helmed by director Brian Yuzna (Society, Return of the Living Dead III) - would prove that there was a good deal more life (and death) left in the story of Dr Herbert West and his ghoulish exploits. It has been eight months since the bloody massacre at Miskatonic Medical School. Unperturbed by the disastrous outcome of his previous meddling with the dead, Dr West (again played by Jeffrey Combs) continues his research into the phenomenon of re-animation; only this time, he plans to create life - starting with the heart of his young protégé Dan's dearly deceased, Meg Halsey. Surely nothing could go wrong? With special effects master Screaming Mad George (the man behind the infamous "shunting" sequence of Society) on hand to contribute a host of characteristically weird and wonderful creations, Bride of Re-Animator is a more than worthy successor to Stuart Gordon's original cult classic. Features - 2K restoration of the Unrated version, approved by director Brian Yuzna - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Audio commentary with Yuzna - Audio commentary with Yuzna, star Jeffrey Combs, special effects co-ordinator Tom Rainone and the effects team including John Buechler, Mike Deak, Robert Kurtzman, Howard Berger and Screaming Mad George - Audio commentary with stars Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott - Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride of Re-Animator - featurette in which the director looks back at the making of the first Re-Animator sequel - Splatter Masters: The Special Effects Artists of Bride of Re-Animator - FX featurette with a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Robert Kurtzman of KNB, Screaming Mad George, Tony Doublin and John Buechler - Getting Ahead in Horror - archive making-of featurette - Deleted Scenes - 24-page illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by programmer Michael Blyth Specs Street Date: 09/26/17 Label: Arrow Video Run Time: 96 mins Audio: STEREO Director: Brian Yuzna Actors: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Claude Earl Jones Territory: US Language: English DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING (1972) 

Dual Format BD/DVD (9/26)

From Lucio Fulci, the godfather of gore (The Psychic, The Beyond), comes one of the most powerful and unsettling giallo thrillers ever produced: his 1972 masterpiece Don't Torture a Duckling. When the sleepy rural village of Accendura is rocked by a series of murders of young boys, the superstitious locals are quick to apportion blame, with the suspects including the local "witch", Maciara (Florinda Bolkan, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin). With the bodies piling up and the community gripped by panic and a thirst for bloody vengeance, two outsiders - city journalist Andrea (Tomas Milian, The Four of the Apocalypse) and spoilt rich girl Patrizia (Barbara Bouchet, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times) - team up to crack the case. But before the mystery is solved, more blood will have been spilled, and not all of it belonging to innocents... Deemed shocking at the time for its brutal violence, depiction of the Catholic Church and themes of child murder and paedophilia, Don't Torture a Duckling is widely regarded today as Fulci's greatest film, rivalling the best of his close rival Dario Argento. Arrow Video is proud to present this uniquely chilling film in its North American high definition debut. Features - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations - Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc) - English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack - New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films - The Blood of Innocents, a new video discussion with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film - Every (Wo)man Their Own Hell, a new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger - Interviews with co-writer/director Lucio Fulci, actor Florinda Bolkan, cinematographer Sergio D'Offizi, assistant editor Bruno Micheli and assistant makeup artist Maurizio Trani - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Timothy Pittides - FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet with new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Howard Hughes Specs Street Date: 09/26/17 Label: Arrow Video Run Time: 108 mins Audio: STEREO Director: Lucio Fulci Actors: Florinda Bolkan, Barbara Bouchet, Tomas Milian Territory: US Language: Italian THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A MINOR (1975) 

Dual Format DVD/BD (9/26)

In the wake of the success of Dario Argento's ground-breaking giallo The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, numerous other directors stepped forward to try their hand at these lurid murder-mysteries. At the forefront was Sergio Martino (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Torso), whose sensual 70s thrillers starring Edwige Fenech and George Hilton are widely celebrated as some of the best the genre has to offer. The final of Martino's six gialli, The Suspicious Death of a Minor combines conventional giallo trappings with elements of the then flourishing 'poliziotteschi' crime thrillers. Claudio Cassinelli (What Have They Done to Your Daughters?) stars as undercover cop Paolo Germi, on the trail of a Milanese criminal outfit following the brutal murder of an underage prostitute. But a killer-for-hire is also on the prowl, bumping off witnesses before they have a chance to talk... Also starring Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City), Barbara Magnolfi (Suspiria) and Jenny Tamburi (The Psychic), and featuring a script by veteran giallo writer Ernesto Gastaldi (All the Colors of the Dark, Death Walks at Midnight), this unique and lesser-known entry in Martino's filmography serves as an essential link between two different movements in Italian popular cinema. Features - Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release - High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations - Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc) - English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack - New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films - New interviews with director Sergio Martino and cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando - Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon Specs Format: BLU-RAY Street Date: 09/26/17 Label: Arrow Video Run Time: 100 mins Audio: STEREO Director: Sergio Martino Actors: Claudio Cassinelli, Mel Ferrer Territory: US Language: English https://mcbastardsmausoleum.blogspot.com

[eurovisionsongaday]

Twins! A dance sequence! This performance is downright flashy!