The Burning Bed

The Burning Bed is a 1984 American true crime biographical television film about domestic violence. It was directed by Robert Greenwald. The screenplay was written by Rose Leiman Goldemberg, based on the 1980 autobiographical book "The Burning Bed", by Faith McNulty. The Burning Bed stars Farrah Fawcett, Paul Le Mat, Richard Masur, Grace Zabriskie, and James Callahan. The movie tells the story of a battered housewife,Francine Hughes, her past, and her courtroom trial for the murder of her abusive ex-husband, James Berlin "Mickey" Hughes. The real-life Francine set fire to the bed her husband was sleeping in at their Dansville, Michigan, home on March 9, 1977, after thirteen years of physical domestic abuse at his hands. The Burning Bed aired on NBC on October 8, 1984. It premiered with a household share of 36.2. It is the seventeenth highest rated movie to air on network television, and NBC's highest rated television movie. The Burning Bed was met with critical acclaim, receiving eight nominations at the 37th Primetime Emmy Awards. It was also nominated for three Golden Globe Awards; of these, Paul Le Mat won the Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film.