It may seem like a fun Hollywood twist to create a movie about a serial killer who appeared on “The Dating Game” in the middle of his crime spree, but in fact, it’s not just a tool. This really happened.
Now streaming on Netflix, “Woman of the Hour” tells the story of Rodney Alcala, who later became known as “The Dating Game Killer.” Then again, the story isn’t so much about him and his murders, as it is about the women — and in this case, one woman in particular — he encountered.
That one woman is Cheryl Bradshaw, played by Anna Kendrick, who also makes her directorial debut on the film. A struggling actress, Cheryl opts to go on “The Dating Game” in the hopes of getting some exposure. But there she meets Rodney, as Bachelor #3.
In real life, Bradshaw says she went on the show really hoping to find love. But for the most part, the film stays true to reality where it counts.
So, here’s what really happened.
Did a serial killer really go on “The Dating Game” and win?
Yes. Rodney Alacala really was selected as a contestant on “The Dating Game.” What’s worse is he was already on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list when he was chosen, and had served time in prison for raping and physically abusing an 8-year-old girl. He had also killed several women at this point.
And yes, Cheryl Bradshaw really did choose him as the winning bachelor. But, in the real world, she never actually went on a date with him, as it happened in the film. The real Bradshaw found Alcala creepy from the get-go after properly meeting him, and refused.
Did Rodney Alcala really get outsmarted by a victim?
He did. Though her name is changed to Amy in the movie, a teenage runaway managed to escape Alcala by asking him to keep their encounter a secret. When he drove her home, he stopped at a gas station bathroom, where she fled.
In the movie, she is the one who gets Alcala captured by police after filing a report about what happened. That’s true too, but in the real world, Alcala’s mother posted his bail, and he went on to kill two more girls.
Did Alcala really take pictures of his victims?
Yes, he did. In 2010, police across California and New York released 120 photos Alcala took, in the hopes of identifying any more possible victims.
Is Rodney Alcala still alive?
No, he is not. Alcala died in prison in 2021.
What happened to Cheryl Bradshaw?
Like in the movie, the real Bradshaw moved out of California and went on to live a private life. She did grant an interview to the Sunday Telegraph in 2012, but little else is known about her outside of her relation to Alcala.
“Woman of the Hour” is now streaming on Netflix.
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