It may seem like a fun Hollywood twist to make a movie about a serial killer who appeared in “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.” On the other hand, the story is not so much about him and his murders, but 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 in the film. Cheryl, a struggling actress, chooses to compete on ‘The Dating Game’ in hopes of gaining some fame. But there she meets Rodney, as Bachelor #3.

In real life, Bradshaw says she went on the show hoping to find love. But for the most part, the film stays true to reality where it counts.

So this is what really happened.

Did a serial killer really go to “The Dating Game” and win?

Yes. Rodney Alacala was actually selected as a contestant on ‘The Dating Game’. What’s even worse is that he was already on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list when he was elected, having served a prison sentence for raping and physically assaulting an 8-year-old girl. He had also murdered several women at that time.

And yes, Cheryl Bradshaw really did pick him as the winning bachelor. But in the real world, she never actually dated him, as happened in the movie. The real Bradshaw found Alcala creepy from the start after properly meeting him, and declined.

Was Rodney Alcala really outsmarted by a victim?

He did. Although her name is changed to Amy in the film, a teenage runaway manages to escape Alcala by asking him to keep their meeting a secret. As he drove her home, he stopped at a gas station bathroom, where she fled.

In the film, she is the one who has Alcala arrested by the police after filing a report about what happened. That’s true, but in the real world, Alcala’s mother paid his bail, and he went on to kill two more girls.

Did Alcala really take photos of his victims?

Yes, he did. In 2010, police in California and New York released 120 photos Alcala had taken in hopes of identifying more possible victims.

Is Rodney Alcala still alive?

No, he isn’t. Alcala died in prison in 2021.

What happened to Cheryl Bradshaw?

Just like in the movie, the real Bradshaw left California and took up a private life. She did give an interview to the Sunday Telegraph in 2012, but little else is known about her beyond her relationship with Alcala.

‘Woman of the Hour’ is now on Netflix.

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