Saturday's Hero

Saturday's Hero is a 1951 American sports drama 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 (1951). 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 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), 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 father's strong objections.

Cast

 * John Derek as Steve Novak
 * Donna Reed as Melissa
 * Sidney Blackmer as TC 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 (as Aldo DaRe)
 * Alvin Baldock as Francis 'Clay' Clayborne
 * Wilbur Robertson as Bob Whittier
 * Charles Barnes as Moose Wagner (as Charles Mercer Barnes)
 * 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 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.