Woman Of The Hour: Did Rodney Alcala Really Study Under Roman Polanski?
Unpacking the Truth Behind Woman of the Hour's Shocking Detail
Woman of the Hour, directed by and starring Anna Kendrick, tells the wild true story of Cheryl Bradshaw's appearance on The Dating Game. One contestant? The infamous serial killer Rodney Alcala. But the film adds another chilling detail – Alcala mentioning he studied under Roman Polanski. Did this actually happen? This seemingly minor piece is going to have a large impact, considering what follows and the reality involved!
The film primarily focuses on the Dating Game appearance but it goes beyond that seemingly small event in time; showcasing Alcala's horrifying history that had existed far before this period in his life and showcasing exactly what Alcala did long before being cast and chosen as one of these individuals involved in that extremely problematic yet fascinating story arc that created this highly intense drama surrounding a dating game. Alcala's claim of studying under Polanski happens while explaining that early history; specifically around that terrible crime where Alcala murders a flight attendant who agreed to help him move. That makes one curious—it presents an intriguing question—Is this true? That's exactly what we will discover. Let's look further. That particular claim and the subsequent story and historical context is explained below. The truth will shock you. It was entirely true.
The Shocking Truth: Alcala and Polanski's Real-Life Connection
Rodney Alcala's earliest known crime? Abducting and assaulting an 8-year-old girl back in 1968. To avoid arrest, Alcala fled California to New York, using an assumed identity ("John Berger," later "John Burger") to attend New York University. That's significant considering his extensive criminal background prior to enrolling in the prestigious college which highlights just how easy such deception might become, even against some background check procedures; it was never reported how much effort and vigilance actually went into screening various potential new students at the time! A report exists which states he was a student under Roman Polanski there at NYU in that famous filmmaking course, proving that statement found in Woman of the Hour was indeed accurate.
The fact that Alcala enrolled at NYU while also being on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list back in 1971 and while registered as a sex offender illustrates just how significant and impressive the fraud Alcala was able to carry through; considering various other criminal endeavors which makes Alcala far more capable, cunning and highly problematic even long before those things involved within the entire context of Woman of the Hour's very narrative!
Alcala's Criminal Path: A Pattern of Violence and Deception
Woman of the Hour doesn't spend a whole lot of time discussing Alcala's entire history, yet highlights Alcala’s time spent both teaching at an arts camp for children and even briefly showing how Alcala even ended up working at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, a period when another notable serial killer also had that very same position there, illustrating some deeply eerie patterns within these real-life situations! These aspects show the darker sides of a surprisingly prolific yet deeply terrible and despicable person and highlight how dangerous Alcala was to those he met. A rather horrific true crime.
His arrest was unusual – some kids saw his mugshot in a post office – showcasing just how incredibly simple this person's capture was, as this totally illustrates another potential plot point: if those critical details within that story had been revealed or had the chance to transpire differently – the chances that Alcala might’ve never gotten caught, are significant!
Conclusion: The Chilling Convergence of Fame and Infamy
Woman of the Hour successfully leverages a simple moment for delivering a profound impact and those additional, truly shocking moments for audience members. That tiny detail–Alcala's supposed Polanski connection? Entirely real. And its mention serves far more than those surface implications: this detail highlights not just the sinister nature surrounding the person behind the criminal yet also showing the incredible scale of criminal deceit that Alcala managed. That specific story point and others help add that much-needed level of realism; a truly disturbing yet fascinating account. It was a completely unexpected addition! The combination of all this and how easily deception could appear to make something so terrible believable – really reminds everyone how important critical thought really matters and this was truly something well-done; resulting in an amazing storyline with shocking consequences, delivering exactly that shocking revelation with incredible detail!
