Top 10 Things Woman of the Hour Got Factually Right & Wrong

Desperate for work, Cheryl/Sheryl Bradshaw - portrayed here by Anna Kendrick - books a gig on “The Dating Game.” Although Bradshaw has reservations, her agent insists it’ll be good exposure, citing Sally Field as a former contestant who went on to bigger things. Between starring in the short-lived sitcom “Gidget” and the more successful “The Flying Nun,” Field did appear on “The Dating Game” in 1966. Although she initially didn’t realize it, one of the bachelors was a surf instructor on “Gidget” and another dated Field in high school. Ironically, Field wound up selecting the bachelor she hadn’t met before. Field is far from the only person who found fame after “The Dating Game,” which featured the likes of Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arriving on set, Bradshaw immediately finds herself at odds with the host of “The Dating Game,” Ed Burke. More concerned with what she’s wearing rather than what’s on her mind, Burke instructs Bradshaw to smile and ask simple questions. When she goes rogue, Burke has some vulgar words for her. Burke is a fictional character, standing in for Jim Lange, who hosted the show throughout its original run. While they may have glasses and hairdos in common, Lange wasn’t mean-spirited or condescending toward female guests like Burke. When Lange started his career in local radio, he recalled the higher-ups wanting a man to cover sports and a woman to cover dance. Lange described this as “very sexist,” sounding like the opposite of Ed Burke.

The film depicts Rodney Alcala clashing behind the scenes with fellow contestant Arnie Aslan. Bachelor #2 was actually named Jed Mills, an actor who went on to appear in movies like “Casino” and shows like “Twin Peaks.” Meanwhile, the crude Arnie is said to be a furniture designer. While Arnie Aslan isn’t meant to resemble Jed Mills, neither would want to be left alone with Alcala. Mills found Alcala to be “creepy,” especially when they were in the green room and he said, “I always get my girl.” He might not have warned Bradshaw as Arnie does in the film, but Mills was right to be skeptical of Alcala. Of course, Mills couldn’t have realized that he was sitting next to a serial killer.

At first, Bradshaw complies with Burke’s request to play nice and stick to the script. Receiving encouragement from her makeup artist, Bradshaw comes up with wittier questions that’ll put the three bachelors to the test. Alcala is the only one who isn’t caught off guard, knowing what Bradshaw and the audience want to hear. The real Cheryl Bradshaw didn’t conceive her own questions on the spot. Rather, she asked more traditional “Dating Game” questions, keeping things upbeat and lighthearted - at least on the surface. For the film, Anna Kendrick suggested that Bradshaw take control of her surroundings and have some fun. While Bradshaw rebels against the sexism on set, her actions ironically bring her closer to a date with Alcala.

“Woman of the Hour” establishes Bradshaw as a young actress struggling to make it in Hollywood. Following her “Dating Game” guest spot, she leaves L.A. in the rearview mirror. Although based on a real person, Kendrick has acknowledged that Bradshaw is “the most fictionalized piece of the movie,” as there isn’t much public information about her. To reflect this, the film changes the spelling of her first name from Cheryl with a “C” to Sheryl with an “S.” For all the liberties taken, Bradshaw did come from an acting background. During her “Dating Game” appearance, Bradshaw was said to be a drama teacher originally from Phoenix, Arizona. Bradshaw eventually moved on from California, “The Dating Game” being her most notable screen credit.

While Alcala did indeed appear on “The Dating Game,” “Woman of the Hour” restructures several elements regarding his episode. Namely, the film implies that Alcala was Bachelor #3 when in reality, he was Bachelor #1. From a dramatic standpoint, it makes sense for the film to introduce the other two bachelors before revealing #3 - who we already know is a cold-blooded killer. The film also leaves out some of Alcala’s more unsettling moments from the actual episode. Answering Bradshaw’s questions, Alcala said that his favorite time was night since that’s when “it really gets good.” He also compared himself to a banana, asking Bradshaw to peel him. It sounded playful at the time, but Alcala’s answers carry a more sinister sentiment now.

“Woman of the Hour” doesn’t cover everything, but its depiction of Rodney Alcala is mostly accurate. Alcala attended New York University, taking Roman Polanski’s class. Moving to the West Coast, Alcala had a short stint at the Los Angeles Times, although he worked as a typesetter and not a photographer. However, Alcala did convince many people that he took photos professionally. He even showed his co-workers photos of young girls, claiming their moms asked him to take them. While some found this odd, the pictures told a deadlier story than anticipated. After the authorities caught up to Alcala, they released 120 of his photos, hoping to identify victims. As the film portrays, Alcala would often strangle and revive victims before killing them.

Nicolette Robinson plays Laura, a “Dating Game” audience member who recognizes Alcala as the man who sexually assaulted and murdered her friend. Laura attempts to tell a security guard and the police, but nobody takes her seriously. Although many can relate to Laura’s frustrating experience, the character is fictional. It’s also worth noting that before moving to California, Alcala had already been arrested multiple times, made the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List, and was incarcerated for over a year. This made it all the more shocking that Alcala not only landed a spot on “The Dating Game,” but his appearance did little to raise his criminal profile. Even if somebody had recognized Alcala from his episode, they might’ve hit the same roadblocks as Laura.

It’s been theorized that Alcala claimed as many as 130 lives. The film highlights several victims, including a teenage runaway modeled after Monique Hoyt. Named Amy here, the character is seduced by Alcala, who proceeds to sexually assault her. “Woman of the Hour” switches around some of the locations and doesn’t depict all of the atrocities that Alcala put Hoyt through. That said, Hoyt did suffer at Alcala’s hands. As shown in the film, Hoyt gave Alcala the slip at a gas station and alerted the authorities. Alcala would be arrested, although his mother bailed him out. This allowed Alcala to kill at least two more individuals before being apprehended again. This time, Alcala would be put away for good, dying behind bars in 2021.

Although Bradshaw ultimately chose Alcala, “Woman of the Hour” adds another chapter. After the show’s taping, Alcala asks Bradshaw out for drinks. Bradshaw is initially charmed by the bachelor, but it doesn’t take long for her to realize something is off. Alcala attempts to corner her in the parking lot. Once several witnesses arrive on the scene, Bradshaw manages to get away unharmed. While it makes for a more intense final act, the real Bradshaw immediately got “weird vibes” from Alcala after meeting him face to face. Despite winning tennis lessons, Bradshaw called contestant coordinator Ellen Metzger, saying she wasn’t comfortable going on a date with this “very strange” man. Metzger sympathized with Bradshaw, whose instincts about Alcala likely saved her life.

Which true crime stories do you think would make interesting movies? Let us know in the comments.