Woman of the Hour is Anna Kendrick's directorial debut, in which she also plays Cheryl Bradshaw. The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and now has its Netflix release. It tells the story of how a dreaded serial killer by the name of Rodney Alcala had once been able to make it to the stage of a dating show live on American television.
Although Woman of the Hour is mostly a fictional account, the real events that transpired back in the '70s are far more frightening.
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Rodney Alcala had already christened himself as a murderer and rapist when he was selected to appear on The Dating Game. He was one of three men on the show who would answer questions from behind a veil, leading to Cheryl Bradshaw selecting one of them as her date.
This was the first time that a known serial killer was flaunting himself on national television across America. Woman of the Hour sheds light on the fact that women's voices were repeatedly stifled in the run-up to this incident, and a serial killer was allowed to be on the loose.
Here are five shocking details about the true story of the serial killer Rodney Alcala and his crimes from Woman of the Hour.
Woman of the Hour: Rodney Alcala's killing spree began in 1968
Rodney Alcala, the serial killer depicted in Woman of the Hour, was a student at UCLA pursuing a degree in fine arts when he struck his first unsuspecting victim. On a sunny day, eight-year-old Tali Shapiro was walking to her school in Hollywood when Alcala preyed upon her.
He offered her a ride in his car on the pretext that he knew her parents. He then took her to his apartment, and hours later, the police were alerted. The police broke into the flat to find Shapiro lying in a pool of blood after Alcala had tried to strangle her.
Rodney Alcala posed as a photographer
The Netflix film correctly depicts that Alcala was introduced as a photographer on the dating show. The footage from 1978's The Dating Game shows Alcala being introduced by host Jim Lange as a:
"successful photographer who got his start when his father found him in the dark room at the age of 13 – fully developed."
Serial killer Alcala covered up the devious part of his personality by posing as a photographer, often working for weddings and other events. He would also use photography to lure his victims, usually offering to click a photograph for them.
Rodney Alcala went to film school
By 1969, Alcala had relocated to New York, where he attended the New York Film School. He also participated in a class with filmmaker Roman Polanski. He then moved to New Hampshire, where he worked as an arts and drama counselor for girls.
Rodney Alcala was put on the FBI's most wanted list
It was in 1969 that the FBI put Alcala on their most wanted list. He was subsequently apprehended based on this after two girls in the New Hampshire camp recognized him as a registered sex offender that he was. The authorities then took him in and handed him to the L.A. police.
Rodney Alcala's exact victim count might be unknown
Alcala was officially convicted in 1978 for brutally murdering seven girls and women. Although it is widely believed that the precise number of his victims might still be unknown. Some estimates by authorities reportedly go up to above 100 but without definite confirmation.
Woman of the Hour can be streamed on Netflix.
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