Saturday's Hero
Saturday's Hero is a 1951 American film noir drama sports film directed by David Miller. It is also known as Idols in the Dust, and stars John Derek and Donna Reed. Saturday's Hero was the first film for Aldo Ray, who was still going by Aldo DaRe, but it was released after his second acting job in My True Story. The film was also the debut score of Elmer Bernstein.
Plot
Steve Novak, a Polish-American immigrant from a small New Jersey mill town, decides to go to Jackson University, a college in Virginia, to play football. He becomes a star player as a freshman, but hears stories of teammates receiving money for their play.Steve falls for Melissa, the niece of one of the school's rich benefactors, T. C. McCabe. When he suffers injuries on the field, Steve realizes that a college education will mean more to his future than football will. He also tries to win Melissa's love, over T. C.’s strong objections.
Cast
- John Derek as Steve Novak
- Donna Reed as Melissa
- Sidney Blackmer as T. C. McCabe
- Alexander Knox as Professor Megroth
- Elliott Lewis as Eddie Adams
- Otto Hulett as Coach "Preacher" Tennant
- Howard St. John as Belfrage
- Aldo Ray as Gene Hausler
- Alvin Baldock as Francis 'Clay' Clayborne
- Wilbur Robertson as Bob Whittier
- Charles Mercer Barnes as Moose Wagner
- Bill Martin as Joe Mestrovic
- Mickey Knox as Joey Novak
- Sandro Giglio as Poppa Jan Novak
- Tito Vuolo as Manuel
Production
Columbia bought the novel The Hero by Millard Lampell specifically as a vehicle for John Derek.The film was known in production as The Hero. The shoot went for 80 days including 35 days of football sequences.