''Saturday's Hero'' is a 1951 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the spor ...

directed by David Miller. It is also known as ''Idols in the Dust'', and stars

John Derek John Derek (born Derek Delevan Harris; August 12, 1926 – May 22, 1998) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer and photographer.Donna Reed Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years, with performances in more than 40 films. She is well known for her portrayal of Mary Hatch Bailey in ...

. ''Saturday's Hero'' was the first film for

Aldo Ray Aldo Ray (born Aldo Da Re; September 25, 1926 – March 27, 1991) was an American actor of film and television. He began his career as a contract player for Columbia Studios before achieving stardom through his roles in '' The Marrying Kind ...

, who was still going by Aldo DaRe, but it was released after his second acting job in ''My True Story'' (1951). The film was also the debut score of

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

Plot

Steve Novak, a Polish-American immigrant from a small New Jersey mill town, decides to go to 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 (

Donna Reed Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years, with performances in more than 40 films. She is well known for her portrayal of Mary Hatch Bailey in ...

), the daughter of one of the school's rich benefactors, TC 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 her uncle’s strong objections.

Cast

as Melissa *

Sidney Blackmer Sidney Alderman Blackmer (July 13, 1895 – October 6, 1973) was an American Broadway and film actor active between 1914 and 1971, usually in major supporting roles. Biography Blackmer was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina, t ...

as TC McCabe *

Alexander Knox Alexander Knox (16 January 1907 – 25 April 1995) was a Canadian actor on stage, screen, and occasionally television. He was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Woodrow Wilson in the film '' Wilson'' (1944). ...

as Professor Megroth * Elliott Lewis as Eddie Adams *

Otto Hulett Otto Hulett (February 27, 1898 – September 1, 1983) was an American film, television and stage actor. Hulett was born in Chicago, Illinois. As an actor, he was best known for his roles in '' The Mob'' (1951), ''Saturday's Hero'' (1951), and ...

as Coach "Preacher" Tennant *

Howard St. John Howard St. John (October 9, 1905 – March 13, 1974) was a Chicago-born character actor who specialized in unsympathetic roles. His work spanned Broadway, film and television. Among his best-remembered roles are the bombastic General Bullmoose i ...

as Belfrage *

as Gene Hausler (as Aldo DaRe) * Alvin Baldock as Francis 'Clay' Clayborne * Wilbur Robertson as Bob Whittier * Charles Mercer Barnes as Moose Wagner * Bill Martin as Joe Mestrovic *

Mickey Knox Abraham Knox (December 24, 1921 − November 15, 2013) was an American actor with nearly 80 films to his credit. Knox was also a screenwriter, film producer, and novelist. Knox was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, and he subsequently moved to ...

as Joey Novak * Sandro Giglio as Poppa Jan Novak *

Tito Vuolo Tito Vuolo (22 March 1893 – 14 September 1962) was an Italian-born American actor, best known for his supporting work playing often stereotypical Italian characters. Prior to his film career, he toured the United States as a stage actor. His wi ...

as Manuel

Production

Columbia bought the novel 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.

References

External links

* * * * {{David Miller 1951 films 1951 drama films American drama films American football films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films 1950s English-language films Films scored by Elmer Bernstein Films based on American novels Films directed by David Miller Films set in universities and colleges Films with screenplays by Sidney Buchman 1950s American films