Josephine Knur

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Josephine Knur
OccupationActress (former)
Known for Number 96 (TV series) as Lorelei Wilkinson

Josephine Knur is a former Australian actress recognised for her eight-month stint as Lorelei Wilkinson in television soap opera Number 96 in 1974.

Contents

Career

Knur initially worked in the wardrobe department of Crawford Productions, while taking extra and acting jobs in series Ryan and Bellbird , and appearing in TV commercials. She then resigned from the wardrobe department to devote her time to pursuing an acting career full-time, starting with training at the Crawford's acting school. [1]

Knur's attractive appearance led to an offer to appear in a decorative, semi-nude role in sex comedy film Alvin Purple , which Knur rejected as it contained no real acting. [2]

During 1974, Knur had guest roles acting in three episodes of police drama Division 4 each time as a different character. In mid 1974 Knur joined the cast of top rated soap opera Number 96 as vivacious dumb-blonde waitress Lorelei Wilkinson, and outfitted in costumes to enhance her physical attractiveness. [3] A comedy character, Lorelei tried to increase her vocabulary by learning a word a day from the dictionary, then incorporating the word into her daily conversation.

Knur accepted the requirement to appear nude in Number 96, reasoning the role "gives me a chance to act and be seen acting". [2]

Knur was a regular cast member of Number 96 as waitress Lorelei Wilkinson remaining for an eight month stint. [4] and was best known in the series in the "pantyhose strangler" story-arc in which her character was the first victim of the perpetrator and was killed off in November 1974. [3]

Coincidently enough the future series Prisoner would also feature a character with the same name of Lorelei Wilkinson played by Paula Duncan. [3]

Knur was then cast in new soap opera The Unisexers that was created by the Number 96 producers, Cash Harmon Television. The series debuted 7 February 1975 and Knur played original regular character Sally Pickles. [5]

The Unisexers proved to be a ratings disaster that was cancelled and taken off air after only three weeks and 15 half-hour episodes. [6]

In 1975 it was reported that Knur and another former Number 96 actor, Pamela Garrick, had made plans to leave Sydney together due to the lack of acting offers, and to work in the Philippines. [4]

Knur had no further film or television acting credits after The Unisexers.

Notes

  1. ↑ Staff. Telebird: Josie Knur. TV Week : 26 May 1973.
  2. 1 2 Staff. The Blonde Bombshell Who Knocked Back Alvin Purple! TV Week : 3 August 1974, p.20.
  3. 1 2 3 Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN   1-86403-191-3 p 54
  4. 1 2 Staff. Two glamor girls plan to leave. TV Week : 31 May 1975, p.14.
  5. ↑ Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. ISBN   1-86403-191-3 p 90
  6. ↑ Moran, Albert. Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, Allen & Unwin, 1993. ISBN   0-642-18462-3 p 471

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