A SERIAL killer who appeared on a dating show disturbed some of his castmates, even when they didn’t know about his uncontrollable murder spree.
In 1978, Rodney Alcala competed on The Dating Game, inspiring Anna Kendrick’s first film – Woman of the Hour.
Serial killer Rodney Alcala disturbed other contestants on his 1978 episode of The Dating Game[/caption]
Cheryl Bradshaw chose Alcala to be her suitor after the episode but called off their date when she got creeped out[/caption]
In the film, Kendrick portrays Cheryl Bradshaw, whose encounter with danger is immortalized in the unsettling episode.
In the episode, Bradshaw, a drama teacher, becomes enamored with Alcala after convincing him to perform impressions of a “dirty old man” and asking him provocative questions.
When asked about his favorite time of day, Alcala replied, “Night-time is when it really gets good.”
Bradshaw chose Alcala as her date, and the pair stood happily arm in arm as they were awarded a free tennis lesson and a trip to the Magic Mountain amusement park.
In the Netflix movie, Kendrick’s character diverges from Bradshaw’s lighthearted remarks by asking questions like, “What is a woman for?”
The character is also an aspiring actress who chooses to go on dating to get exposure.
In Woman of the Hour, fellow dating game bachelor Jed Mills sparks a rivalry with Alcala in the green room while bickering over who will win Bradshaw’s heart.
Alcala ends the conversation by saying, “I always get the girl,” in a disturbing remark.
This eerie scene actually happened in real life and is based on an interview that Mills gave with ABC’s 20/20 in 2021.
The former contestant described Alcala as “creepy” and said he had “bizarre views.”
LIFE-SAVING MOVE
The movie’s overall plot aligns with Alcala’s harrowing story, including the moment when Kendrick’s character decides to ditch her date with the serial killer.
However, it plays out differently in the film.
After picking Alcala as the winner, Kendrick’s character agrees to grab a drink with him at a nearby tiki bar.
She declines his offer for a second drink and starts to get uncomfortable when he pressures her into staying with him.
However, she silently motioned to the waitress that she needed to get out, and the server told Alcala that the bar had closed.
After this, she tells the showrunners she doesn’t want her date with Alcala and moves to New York City.
Bradshaw also declined her date with Alcala, but it’s unlikely that they went out for a drink after filming.
According to former producer Ellen Metzger, Bradshaw told her, “I can’t go out with this guy.
“I can’t go out with this guy. There’s weird vibes that are coming off of him,” Bradshaw said at the time.
“He’s very strange. I am not comfortable.”
Metzger told the contestant it was OK and that she didn’t have to go on the date, potentially saving her life.
Who was Rodney Alcala?
RODNEY Alcala is one of America’s most notorious serial killers, and detectives are still uncovering terrifying details about his crimes.
Alcala was born to a Mexican-American family in 1943 in Texas.
His family moved back to Mexico, but his mother took them to Los Angeles after his father abandoned them.
Growing up, Alcala was well-liked by classmates, but he started having troubles when he joined the military at age 17.
Commanding officers described him as insubordinate and anti-social. He was punished several times for harassing women.
Alcala was eventually dismissed from the military for having a so-called breakdown, where he left his station to flee back to California.
His first crime took place in 1968 when he convinced Tali Shapiro, who was 8 at the time, to get in his car.
He then took her inside his home and raped her before escaping cops and fleeing to New York.
Alcala would serve time in prison for this assault and another before he was let out and embarked on a heartless killing spree.
He’s known to have killed at least 8 women, but detectives believe his victims could range in the hundreds.
HORROR HISTORY
Alcala was introduced to the public as a professional photographer during his appearance on The Dating Game, but producers were unaware that his photography often involved disturbing images of his victims, taken after he had attacked them.
Although Alcala, who is now dead, has been officially linked to seven murders, his extensive collection of hundreds of photographs suggests there may be more victims.
Some investigators believe he could be responsible for as many as 130 killings, according to reports from the Associated Press.
Born in Texas to a Mexican-American family, Alcala moved to California as a child after his father abandoned the family.
In grade school, classmates found him friendly and charming, but his behavior took a drastic turn after he joined the military at age 17.
He frequently clashed with commanding officers and faced disciplinary actions for harassing women.
While stationed in North Carolina, Alcala deserted his post and made his way across the country, an act later attributed to a psychotic break.
He was eventually discharged from the military for medical reasons.
Alcala’s first crime came in 1968, when he violently raped and beat an 8-year-old girl named Tali Shapiro, who he kidnapped while she was walking home from school.
The future killer escaped cops at the time and dodged detectives until he was caught in 1971.
After serving two years for that sentence, he was released and quickly booked again for another sexual assault.
He also got a light sentence for that assault and dove into a disturbing streak of killings as soon as he got out.
Alcala’s reign of terror came to an end in 1979 after he was convicted of murdering 12-year-old Robin Samsoe.
While behind bars, Alcala was convicted of murdering Cornelia Crilley in 1971, Jill Barcomb, Georgia Wixted, and Ellen Jane Hover in 1977, and Charlotte Lamb in 1978.
The killer died of natural causes in 2021, and police are still looking for information that could link him to more murders.
