Rodney Alcala is the dating show killer of 'Woman Now'

In “The Woman of Now,” a serial killer joins a dating show to find his next victim. This is the real story behind it.

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“Pitch Perfect” star Anna Kendrick is celebrating her directorial debut in the Netflix film “Woman of the Day.” The film is set in the 1970s and is based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala.

The film follows aspiring actress Cheryl Bradshaw (whose name is slightly changed in the film) who encounters a serial killer on a dating show. When he appeared on television, none of the participants knew how dangerous this man was.

Who is the Dating Game Killer?

Rodney Alcala worked at the Los Angeles Times in the 1970s. He had previously studied film under a different name in New York – taking film courses with director Roman Polanski. Before appearing on the reality show, he went on a murder spree across the US states of New York, California and Wyoming.

In order to find his victims, Alcala posed as a fashion photographer. He complimented the women and asked to take their pictures.

Rodney Alcala was arrested in July 1979 at the age of 35.Image: Huntington Beach Police Department

By the time he appeared on “The Dating Game” in 1978, he had already been jailed twice for molesting girls under 13. But producers apparently didn't check the contestants' backgrounds properly, and no one on set knew their pasts.

A year later, in 1979, Alcala was accused of killing 12-year-old Robin Samsoe and was sentenced to death shortly thereafter. That June, the girl disappeared on her way to the ballet studio. Her body was found about two weeks later.

His conviction was later overturned by the California Supreme Court and he was granted a new trial. At the second trial in 1986, he was sentenced to the same sentence, but this sentence was also overturned in 2003. In the years that followed, investigators uncovered forensic evidence linking Alcala to other murders in California. In a new trial in 2010, he was found guilty of murdering Samso and four other women aged 18 to 32 between 1977 and 1979.

In total, he was convicted of murdering seven women. However, he is suspected of killing more than 100 women and girls.

Alcala died of natural causes in a hospital near a California prison in 2021 at the age of 77 while awaiting execution.

What happened to Cheryl Bradshaw?

Although Cheryl Bradshaw (spelled “Sheryl” in the film) chose Alcala on the show, the two never dated together.

Game show coordinator Ellen Metzger said in an interview that Bradshaw told producers at the time that she didn't want to meet with Alcala after the show. “He was weird. I didn't feel good,” Bradshaw said. The decision likely saved Bradshaw's life.

Here you can find all the excerpts from Rodney Alcala’s dating show:

After starring in “The Dating Game,” Bradshaw left California and retreated from the spotlight. Little is known about Bradshaw's life, except that she died. It's unclear if she was an aspiring actress as in the movie.

Is Amy a real person?

In the film, Amy is a homeless young woman who ultimately leads to Alcala's arrest. The character is based on a real survivor, but details have been changed to protect the woman. In fact, she also went to the police station, but Alcala disappeared before she could be arrested. The woman testified against him at his 2010 trial.

Autumn's best role as Amy.Image: Netflix

Is it true that this woman was trying to warn the producers?

In the film, a woman in the audience recognizes Rodney Alcala as the man who approached her and her friend on the beach the day before her friend was raped and murdered, panics and runs away .

Kendrick told Rolling Stone that the number represents all the people who have tried to report Alcala to police over the years but were ignored.

Image: Netflix

“The Woman of Now” Trailer

The 95-minute true-crime film “Woman of the Hour,” starring Anna Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto, is now available on Netflix.

More information about true crime: