Saturday's Hero

Saturday's Hero
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	David Miller
Produced by	Buddy Adler
Screenplay by	Sidney Buchman Millard Lampell
Based on	The Hero 1949 novel by Millard Lampell
Starring	John Derek Donna Reed Sidney Blackmer Alexander Knox
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography	Lee Garmes
Edited by	William Lyon
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	September 10, 1951
Running time	111 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1,150,000 (US rentals)

Saturday's Hero is a 1951 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). This film was also the debut score of Elmer Bernstein.

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.