wacky tacky: Germany

Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts

Thursday, February 20, 2014

wacky tacky Icons: The Kessler Twins

Is there anything better than a tall, cool, blonde of foreign extraction? The answer is obviously yes, two tall, cool, blondes of foreign extraction - with bonus points for being twins....

...and having matching wolfhounds!!!

(Source)

Better known to their native-German following as "Die Kessler Zwillinge" and their adoptive-Italian audiences as "Le Gemelle Kessler," Alice and Ellen Kessler, "The Kessler Twins," were destined for stardom despite being born in the turbulence of pre-War Germany (although, being the epitome of the idealized-Aryan genotype was certainly no a hindrance in that particular climate).

Alice und Ellen
(in no particular order)
(Source)

Emerging relatively unscathed from the war years, Alice and Ellen put their vocal and dance training to use and quickly gained nationwide notoriety. Their performance of "Heute Abend Wollen Wir Tanzen Geh'n (Tonight We Want to Go Dancing)," earned them placement in the top ten of the Eurovision Song Contest of 1959 and international acclaim.

"Heute Abend Wollen Wir Tanzen Geh'n" - The Kessler Twins

Like a long-legged, living embodiment of a Doublemint Gum ad, the Kessler's doubled their pleasure and
doubled their fun by finding fame in France (a residence at Paris' famed Lido night club) and super-stardom in Italy.
(Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

"Quando, Quando, Quando" - The Kessler Twins
(Many of the sisters' hits were sung in Italian or a German-Italian hybrid)

The poster children for post-War multiculturalism, I wondered if the twins ever became a star-attraction in the United States; Life Magazine of February 22, 1963 answered my question.

"Sensations from Germany: Kessler Twins"
(Source)

While never quite the hit they were in Italy,
The Kessler Twins appeared with Ed Sullivan,

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Red Skelton,
and Danny Kaye while in America.

Apparently, they also made a lasting impression on a young,
US Army Sergeant on leave in Paris, namely Elvis Presley.

(Source)

I think I love The Kessler Twins because they are the kind of novelty act that just doesn't exist anymore. Besides Matthew & Gunnar, who was the last big ~~sister~~ twins act? And when was the last time you heard of a long-standing nightclub engagement? When was the last time you heard mini-dress-wearing German sisters sing a Lou Rawls' song in Italian?

"A Natural Man" - The Kessler Twins

I am definitely not the biggest fan of contemporary pop music but I will say that these kids nowadays are well-produced and expected to be polished within an inch of their lives; all the Kessler Twins had to do was be pretty and twirl. It is their mere passing acquaintance with synchronization that warms the wacky tacky cockles of my heart (aren't twins supposed to have some intuitive connection???).

I also love their always-of-the-moment styling.
Hello, mermaid-hair helmets!!!
(Source)

Are you a fan of The Kessler Twins? Even better, are you a twin yourself? The Kesslers continued to perform well into the 1980's; I don't know if they are still performing but I for one would love to see a live Kessler spectacular, wouldn't you? "Ciao-f Wiedersehen!"

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Saturday, April 2, 2011

I'm an Oom-Pah-Pah Papa!!!

Is it ever too soon for second helpings of schnitzel? I think nicht. Not so very long ago we explored the wacky tacky wunderbar-ness of Old World Village in Huntington Beach. We determined that it was high time to discuss her older sister - Alpine Village in Torrance.

This is about as artsy as I get...
you can see my reflection in the automatic doors.

As with Old World Village, Alpine Village was started by German immigrants looking to bring a bit of Bavaria to the California coast. Opened in 1968, the history on this place is difficult to determine as none is provided on the website and my research abilities are weak. Much like Old World, Alpine Village is host to a market, restaurants, a chapel, and various businesses and shops. There are, however, several differences between the two locations. Alike in spirit, the villages actually have no connection beyond being havens to all things German. Because Alpine Village is home to a daily swap meet, it is much more populated and therefore possesses none of the creepy-cool factor that is so prevalent at Old World. In fact, every storefront that we passed was open for business and beckoning for us to enter with their air conditioning (yep, no joke, it was April 1st and the temperature was 90 degrees!!)

The market is much more expansive than its Huntington Beach counterpart and the aisles were filled with hungry shoppers.

The signs were very cool.

The bakery looks impressive but really, bleh...

The fleische counter puts Old World's to shame just by sheer volume.

I thought McDonald's invented the fish/cheese combo with the Filet-O-Fish.
Boy, was I wrong!

Just horsin' around.

Alpine Village's chapel doesn't hold a prayer candle
to the chapel at Old World, but it is quaint.

A few of the store shingles

The Alpine Inn is home to a weekly dance that we have yet to attend.
Sounds fun!

Mary found a pebble-mosaic art piece at the swap of which she was very proud.
Actually, we have found some killer deals there in the past.

Overall, Alpine Village is a must-see but it is much more engaged in reality than Old World and is therefore, not as much fun. Because we didn't find as much mystery or excitement as we had hoped for at Alpine Village, we needed to get our adventure fix elsewhere. I had heard tales of a "sunken city" in San Pedro and determined that it had to be our next destination. Truthfully, Mary had been there before and made it sound so exciting that I just wanted to be "in the know." I was expecting a Goonies-level adventure - ORV's, Baby Ruths, Truffle Shuffle, the whole bit.

The "No Trespassing" sign quickened my pulse and
kept me on the lookout for Data, Sloth and One-Eyed Willy.

To reach the "sunken city," one must climb over a short wall and wriggle underneath a fence. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture of said fence. Needless to say, Mary was wrong and I could fit under the fence!

Truth be told, the "sunken city" (I continue to use quotation marks advisedly), is really just a small number of homes that once stood on the cliffs above the ocean but could no longer be supported by the terrain. All that is left of the homes is cracked foundations. The area is really a beautiful place and provides lovely views of the ocean and Catalina Island.

Remnants of the homes

No treasure, no pirates, nothin'...

The large, flat slabs of concrete are an obvious canvas for graffiti artists

The foundations also provide a great place to climb and play.

We were about to leave San Pedro when we noticed a trolley car and without a second thought, we hopped aboard. The beautiful trolleys are careful replicas of the original 1909 Pacific Electric railcars that once covered a vast area of Los Angeles County. We were thrilled to be riding a "Red Car" but soon found out that the trolley was really just a leisurely ride to nowhere.

Cool sign of the day!

Alpine Village

833 West Torrance Blvd.

Torrance, CA

(310)323-6520

alpinevillagecenter.com

The Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line
Harbor Blvd. @ The Port of Los Angeles
San Pedro, CA
sanpedro.com/spcom/redcar
Operates Friday-Sunday 12-9:30 p.m.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Haben Sie gehört das Deutsche Band?

We are always on the lookout for cool places to go, interesting people to meet, neat projects to undertake and good food to eat. We keep our finger on the pulse of the public and our ear to the ground. Which, as the old saying goes, leaves us in a rather vulnerable position. Sometimes we get so caught up in what's "out there," we forget to look in our own back yard. Inspired by some vintage snapshots passed on to us by our friend Lauren at Wearing History, we developed a sudden craving for pretzels, schnitzel mit noodles and crisp Apfelstrudel.

They're trying to tell us something.

Deutschland's answer to Brenda Lee

Germans doing what Germans do best - sharing.

We needed a quick fix of German goodness. We could have stayed home and just watched the footage of JFK's declaration, "Ich bin ein Berliner," but we wanted a more immersive experience. Thus, we explored, and now feature for your enjoyment, our neighborhood treasure and well-known, if shamefully under-visited, Orange County landmark, Old World Village.

Old World was designed as a roadside attraction by German immigrant, Josef Bischof. After settling in Huntington Beach, he began his faithful recreation of a small Bavarian town. Opened in 1978, the village center is home to a grocery (complete with a butcher/deli counter, a bakery and a wide assortment of European delicacies), an active church (open regularly for worship services and weddings), a motel, a banquet hall, retail shops, restaurants, a salon, a bar and even apartments for rent.

Old World features a perpetually-spinning, life-size diorama of Bavarian dancers frozen in that most traditional of all German folk dances, "Ich sehe London, Ich sehe France."

An example of the available living spaces at Old World.
As soon as those plants grow long enough, the current
residents will be able to climb down and escape.

The Rathskeller is Huntington Beach's
oldest-operating, subterranean, German-themed bar.

Old World is home to an odd assemblage of retail storefronts that, nine times out of ten, are closed. Visiting on a weekday, Old World is a veritable ghost town. Even on the weekends, seeing another human being is a rarity and, aside from the occasional German patron quickly making their way from their Mercedes to the Market, one would quickly assume that this place is deserted. Unfortunately, it sits in the long and looming shadow cast by the overgrown, ultra-modern retail center across the street and rumors of demolition are constantly swirling. Sometimes, the creepy desolation works in its favor, however, and we pretend to be Jeremy and Jemima from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang just waiting for the Child Catcher to prance around the corner.

Old World used to be a bustling attraction. In fact, it was once a ground zero for Orange County's punk scene. Shows were a regular occurrence but episodes of underage drinking and violence eliminated all activities of that nature. Several shop owners have tried to bring about a renaissance to Old World's flagging economy. Scuda, a vintage clothing store, made an admirable attempt at attracting a younger demographic, but the foot traffic of OW was too weak and the lure of Long Beach's famed 4th Street just too strong. Once a year, during September and October, the sleepy little village comes alive with Oktoberfest Celebrations. Festivities include beer drinking, folk dancing and Dachshund Races!!!