Netflix is set to release a new film exploring the chilling story behind how a notorious serial killer earned his infamous moniker.
Rodney Alcala appeared on popular US dating game show The Dating Game in the seventies, but unbeknownst to the audience and his fellow contestants, he had already committed a series of horrific crimes.
The upcoming film, Woman of the Hour, delves into the shocking events that transpired and will be available for streaming in October.
Anna Kendrick stars in and directs the film, portraying Cheryl Bradshaw, the woman who had to choose between Alcala and other bachelors for a date. Meanwhile, Daniel Zovatto takes on the role of Rodney Alcala.
But who was the real-life Alcala, what became of him, and where is he now?
Rodney Alcala on The Dating Game in 1978 (Image: ABC)
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Who was Rodney Alcala?
Rodney Alcala was born in Texas in 1943 to American-Mexican parents and was the third of four children. After his father abandoned them, his mother moved the family back to the United States from Mexico when Alcala was still a child, eventually settling in Los Angeles.
At the age of 17, Alcala joined the Army but was reportedly disciplined multiple times for assaulting young women. After being medically discharged due to a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, Alcala attended the UCLA School of Fine Arts and studied film under Roman Polanski at New York University.
Rodney Alcala briefly worked as a typesetter at the LA Times but fooled colleagues into believing he was a professional photographer. He even persuaded young men and women to pose for photographs for his portfolio, which were often sexually explicit.
Why was he called the Dating Game Killer?
Alcala acquired his nickname Dating Game Killer after he appeared on the once-popular game show The Dating Game back in 1978, right in the midst of a brutal murder spree where he had already claimed the lives of at least five women.
Alarmingly, none were aware of his violent history, despite his troubling past which included featuring on the FBI’s most wanted list in 1971 and being incarcerated for the assault of an eight year old girl in 1968, only to be released on parole after two years.
Anna Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto in Woman of the Hour (Image: Netflix)
On the game show, hosted by Jim Lange (Tony Hale portrays him in the film), Alcala was introduced as a “successful photographer” with a passion for skydiving. One fellow contestant would recall Alcala as a “very strange guy” with “bizarre opinions”.
The Dating Game, akin to Britain’s Blind Date, engaged contestants in a Q&A with potential matches unseen behind a partition. Alcala, remarkably, was chosen by Cheryl Bradshaw as her date on the show. However, upon completing the show she declined the date, describing him as “creepy”.
What happend after Rodney Alcala’s TV appearance?
Alcala was not apprehended until a year following his stint on The Dating Game. He went on to rape and murder three more women, including 12 year old Robin Samsoe in Los Angeles in 1979, after the episode aired.
Criminal experts have speculated that the rejection he experienced on the show may have triggered him to commit further crimes. Following Samsoe’s disappearance, a sketch of the suspect was released, which a probation officer identified as Alcala.
While serving time for his crimes in 1994, Alcala penned a book titled You, the Jury, in which he claimed his innocence. However, advancements in DNA and crime scene analysis were instrumental in connecting Alcala to many of his victims.
He would ultimately be handed three death sentences for his crimes in 1980, 1986 and 2010. This included multiple trials, extraditions to New York and an appeal against his death sentence.
In March 2010, Huntington Beach police unveiled over 100 photographs discovered in a storage unit owned by Alcala. Many of these images depicted young women in suggestive poses, as reported by CBS news. Detectives sought public assistance in identifying the individuals in the photos.
Investigators across the United States have linked Alcala to murders in locations such as Los Angeles and Marin County in California; Seattle, Washington; New York; New Hampshire and Arizona. Alcala passed away from natural causes on July 24, 2021, while still on death row, at the age of 77.