Episode 426: 80s TV Movie Ladies: Stone Pillow (1985) | Lucille Ball’s Dramatic Turn, Daphne Zuniga & writer Rose Leiman Goldemberg
The 80s TV Ladies launch a brand-new series looking back at 1980s television movies with Stone Pillow(1985), the CBS drama in which 74-year-old Lucille Ball plays a woman living on the streets of New York City, opposite a young Daphne Zuniga. Spoilers ahead!
Read TranscriptThe Conversation
- Lucy Like You’ve Never Seen Her: Lucille Ball was born in 1911, co-invented the modern sitcom with Desi Arnaz, and became the first woman to head a Hollywood studio. Her company Desilu even gave us Star Trekand Mission Impossible. After no series since Here’s Lucy ended in 1974, she pitched this movie to CBS after seeing a shopping bag lady in New York, and named the character after her grandmother.
- Daphne Zuniga’s Big Year: In 1985 she starred in Stone Pillow, Vision Quest with Matthew Modine, and The Sure Thing with John Cusack, before Spaceballs, Melrose Place, and One Tree Hill. The ladies agree Lucy gets the heft of the story, while Carrie’s character is a little underwritten.
- The People Behind the Camera: Director George Schaefer, the Tony winner and Hallmark Hall of Famelegend with five Emmys and a record number of Directors Guild nominations. Writer Rose Leiman Goldemberg, a former TV Guide staffer who became a “queen of TV movies,” wrote The Burning Bed the year before and died in 2025 at age 97. And Oscar-winning cinematographer Walter Lassally, who shot Zorba the Greek and Tom Jones.
- How It Was Received: A ratings hit that landed in the week’s top 10 with a 33 share, even though critics were mixed. The New York Times called it a carefully contrived tearjerker but praised Lucy for being in total control of the role. Fans love it today, with an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Lucy followed it with the short-lived sitcom Life with Lucy in 1986.
- Homelessness, Shelters & the System: In the 80s, awareness was growing as the social safety net frayed. The ladies discuss the shelter scenes, Flora’s trip to a brutal Brooklyn shelter, a social worker sent out on her own, and why losing an address can mean losing access to services, to travel, and even to the vote.
- A New Series & Your Suggestions: Female-driven stories were a big part of 80s TV movies, and the ladies are excited to look at more of them, including The Burning Bed. Plus, help us pick a fun title for the series, and tell us which TV movies we should cover!
- NEXT EPISODE TEASERDon’t miss our next episode, when the ladies are back with another fabulous look at the shows and stars that made 80s TV great! Subscribe now so you don’t miss it.
Our Audio-ography
AUDIOGRAPHY & RECOMMENDED WATCHING
- Stone Pillow (1985): Watch on YouTube (there are a few different versions), or find the 2005 Koch Vision DVD on eBay. See the Apple TV listing and the Wikipedia page.
- The New York Times Review: Read John J. O’Connor’s “Lucille Ball Plays A Bag Lady On CBS” (November 5, 1985).
- Rose Leiman Goldemberg: Learn more about the writer on her website https://www.roseleimangoldemberg.com/and read her obituary in The Boston Globe.
- The Burning Bed (1984): Rose’s groundbreaking movie with Farrah Fawcett isn’t streaming right now, but there are clips on YouTube.
PROJECT ID AND PROTECT THE VOTE
- Help Americans get life-saving and life changing IDs through ProjectID.org and SpreadTheVote.org
- Vote.org: Voting really does matter! Make sure you check your voter registration regularly and your state’s ID rules. Find out more at Vote.org.
- DemocracyDocket.com: Learn more about protecting our right to vote at DemocracyDocket.com.
🌟 COMMUNITY CONNECT
Share your memories of Lucille Ball’s dramatic turn! Did you watch Stone Pillow back in the day, or see it for the first time? Would you have recognized Lucy if you hadn’t known it was her? And which 70s and 80s TV movies should we cover next? Email us at 80sTVLadies@gmail.com.
Support us and get ad-free episodes on Patreon. Watch-throughs with our patrons are coming soon! Thank you to our Patreon supporters, who make this podcast possible every single week.
Discover more great shows on Weirding Way Media!
🌟🛍️ SPECIAL 8TL PROMOTIONS!
- COZY EARTH: Get 21% OFF awesome bamboo sheets and pajamas at CozyEarth.com using promo code: 80STVLADIES.
- TORRAIN BAGS: Get 15% OFF recycled bags perfect for travel and work at Torrain.org with promo code: 80sTVLadies.
- All Promo Deals: See all special offers at MyDeals.Page/19wy.
- 🎁 Promo Code: 80STVLADIES
Help us make more episodes and get ad-free episodes and exclusive content on PATREON.
DON'T MISS OUT! SIGN UP FOR OUR MAILING LIST
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
