The Chilling True Story: Who Were The Real People Behind Anna Kendrick's 'Woman Of The Hour'?

The Netflix film Woman of the Hour, directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, has captivated audiences with its barely believable yet entirely true-to-life premise. Released in 2024, the movie transports viewers back to 1978, detailing the terrifying intersection of a popular television game show and one of America's most prolific serial killers. The movie is not a work of pure fiction; it is based on the real experience of a woman who, by a stroke of fate and a gut feeling, avoided becoming the next victim of a charming psychopath. This deep dive reveals the full, uncensored story of the real people involved, from the aspiring actress who dodged a bullet to the "Dating Game Killer" whose crimes spanned decades and states.

The film centers on a contestant named Sheryl Bradshaw, a fictionalized version of a very real person, and the man she chose as her date, who turned out to be a monster. Understanding the true story requires looking past the Hollywood portrayal and examining the lives, crimes, and ultimate fates of the real individuals whose paths crossed on that fateful game show stage in the late 1970s.

The Real-Life Contestants: Cheryl Bradshaw and The Dating Game Killer

The core of Woman of the Hour revolves around two main figures: the bachelorette, and the bachelor she unknowingly chose—a man already in the midst of a heinous killing spree. The film’s narrative integrity is built on the documented events of a 1978 episode of the popular television show The Dating Game.

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Rodney Alcala: The Dating Game Killer (1943–2021)

The man portrayed by Daniel Zovatto in the film is the notorious serial killer, Rodney James Alcala. His appearance on The Dating Game while actively committing murders is one of the most chilling footnotes in true crime history. His alias during this time was often "John Berger" or "John Burger."

• Full Name: Rodney James Alcala (Born: August 23, 1943)
• Aliases: John Berger, John Burger, The Dating Game Killer
• The Dating Game Appearance: 1978, as Bachelor No. 1
• Convictions: Convicted of 7 confirmed murders in California and New York.
• Estimated Victims: Authorities and prosecutors believe he may have killed up to 130 people across the United States.
• Modus Operandi: Alcala often lured victims by posing as a photographer, and police later discovered a storage locker containing thousands of photographs of women, children, and teens, many of whom were believed to be his victims.
• Death: Died of natural causes on July 24, 2021, at the age of 77, while on California's death row.

Alcala’s high IQ, reportedly at a Mensa-level genius, and his charming demeanor allowed him to evade suspicion for years, making him a terrifying example of a predator hiding in plain sight.

Cheryl Bradshaw: The Woman Who Refused the Date

Anna Kendrick's character, Sheryl Bradshaw, is a fictionalized version of the real-life contestant, Cheryl Bradshaw. The film's title, Woman of the Hour, refers to the bachelorette on the show who would ultimately choose her date from three unseen bachelors.

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• Real Name: Cheryl Bradshaw
* Profession: Aspiring actress and drama teacher in Los Angeles at the time.
• The Fateful Choice: Bradshaw chose Rodney Alcala (Bachelor No. 1) based on his witty, albeit strange, answers during the show.
• The Escape: Crucially, the real Cheryl Bradshaw called off the date after the show’s taping. She later stated that she found Alcala creepy and odd backstage, particularly noting a disturbing "vibe" he gave off, which caused her to cancel the prize trip they had won. This instinct saved her life.

The film’s ending titles reveal that the real Bradshaw left California to live a private life and raise a family, seeking anonymity after the terrifying revelation of who she had almost gone on a date with. In a poignant and recent detail, Anna Kendrick confirmed in October 2024 that the real Cheryl Bradshaw had "sadly passed away before production began" on the film, making the movie a tribute to the woman who survived by trusting her intuition.

The Trail of Terror: Alcala's Confirmed Victims and Crimes

While the film focuses on the near-miss, the true horror of Alcala's story lies in the trail of violence he left behind. His appearance on The Dating Game was a mere interruption in a decades-long spree of rape, torture, and murder. Alcala was convicted of seven murders, but his true victim count is believed to be much higher, with some estimates reaching over 100.

The Orange County Murders and Death Row

The conviction that ultimately sealed Alcala's fate in California involved five murders, which were later consolidated with two others. In 2010, he was sentenced to death for the murders of:

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• Robin Samsoe (12): A young girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Huntington Beach in 1979. Her murder was a central focus of the prosecution.
• Jill Barcomb (18): A woman from New York killed in Southern California in 1977.
• Georgia Wixted (27): Murdered in Malibu in 1978.
• Charlotte Lamb (32): Murdered in El Segundo in 1978.
• Jill Parenteau (21): Murdered in Burbank in 1979.

In 2013, Alcala pleaded guilty in New York to the murders of two other women, Ellen Hover in 1974 and Tali Shapiro in 1978, though Tali Shapiro was later confirmed to be a survivor who had been brutally assaulted by Alcala in 1974. The sheer number of victims and the span of his crimes solidified his place as one of the most terrifying figures in American true crime.

The Frightening Photography Connection

One of the most disturbing aspects of the real-life case, which is hinted at in the film, is Alcala’s obsession with photography. When authorities searched a storage locker belonging to Alcala, they found over 1,000 photographs, mostly of young women and children in various poses, some suggestive and others seemingly taken without their knowledge. These photographs, released to the public, led to the identification of additional victims and helped cold case detectives link Alcala to other unsolved crimes across the country, further confirming his status as a prolific killer.

The Legacy of 'Woman of the Hour' and the True Story

The film Woman of the Hour serves as more than just a serial killer thriller; it is a powerful commentary on the casual misogyny and lack of concern for women’s safety prevalent in the 1970s entertainment industry. The producers of The Dating Game were reportedly more concerned with the show's success than with the background of their contestants, a negligence that almost cost Cheryl Bradshaw her life.

The movie highlights the stark contrast between the charming, witty persona Alcala presented on television and the monster he was in real life. The true legacy of Cheryl Bradshaw is one of profound instinct. Her decision to trust her gut, despite external pressure, is the central, life-saving act that the film immortalizes. In a world where women were often dismissed, her intuition was the only thing that stood between her and a terrible fate.

Rodney Alcala's death in 2021 brought a definitive end to his life, but the pursuit of justice for all his victims continues through the cold cases that remain tied to his name and his chilling collection of photographs. The story of Woman of the Hour is a stark reminder that even in the most mundane, lighthearted settings, real-life horror can lurk just beneath the surface.