A has-been, alcoholic former soccer star determines to make a comeback. He gets help from his former girlfriend, now a rock star, and her partner.
Michael McKean reflects on his first Emmy nomination for "Better Call Saul" as well as his iconic roles over the years.
Related News
-
Collins' Sex Novels Have Enjoyed Unexpectedly Few Film Versions (The Stud, The Bitch)
22 September 2015 | Alt Film Guide
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Yesterday's Hero (1979)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
Maschenka
(1987)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
John Goldschmidt
Stars:
Irina Brook,
Cary Elwes,
Sunnyi Melles
Dirty Money
(1979)
Action
|
Crime
|
Drama
Director:
Francis Megahy
Stars:
Ian McShane,
Warren Clarke,
Stephen Greif
Freelance
(1971)
Crime
Director:
Francis Megahy
Stars:
Ian McShane,
Gayle Hunnicutt,
Keith Barron
Cheaper to Keep Her
(1980)
Comedy
Director:
Ken Annakin
Stars:
Mac Davis,
Tovah Feldshuh,
Bruce Flanders
Leather Jackets
(1991)
Action
|
Drama
Director:
Lee Drysdale
Stars:
D.B. Sweeney,
Bridget Fonda,
Judi Trevor
Oxford Blues
(1984)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Sport
Director:
Robert Boris
Stars:
Rob Lowe,
Ally Sheedy,
Amanda Pays
Another Country
(1984)
Biography
|
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Marek Kanievska
Stars:
Rupert Everett,
Colin Firth,
Michael Jenn
Comedy
Director:
Rod Amateau
Stars:
Ian McShane,
Anna Calder-Marshall,
John Gavin
Gypsy Girl
(1966)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
John Mills
Stars:
Hayley Mills,
Annette Crosbie,
Laurence Naismith
Young and Willing
(1962)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Ralph Thomas
Stars:
Virginia Maskell,
Paul Rogers,
Ian McShane
Torchlight
(1985)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Thomas J. Wright
Stars:
Pamela Sue Martin,
Steve Railsback,
Ian McShane
The Fifth Musketeer
(1979)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Romance
Director:
Ken Annakin
Stars:
Sylvia Kristel,
Ursula Andress,
Beau Bridges
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Suzanne Somers | ... | 'Cloudy' / Cloudy | |
| Ian McShane | ... | Rod Turner | |
| Adam Faith | ... | Jake | |
| Paul Nicholas | ... | Clint | |
| Sam Kydd | ... | Sam Turner | |
 |
Trevor Thomas | ... | Speed |
| Glynis Barber | ... | Susan | |
| Sandy Ratcliff | ... | Rita (as Sandy Ratcliffe) | |
|
|
Alan Lake | ... | Georgie Moore |
|
|
Paul J. Medford | ... | Marek (as Paul Medford) |
|
|
Matthew Long | ... | Mac Gill |
|
|
Paul Desbois | ... | Butch |
|
|
Eric Deacon | ... | Chris |
| John Motson | ... | TV Interviewer & Commentator | |
|
|
Mark Wood | ... | Small Boy |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
A has-been, alcoholic former soccer star determines to make a comeback. He gets help from his former girlfriend, now a rock star, and her partner.
Taglines:
From the pen of Jackie Collins, the story of a fallen super-star and his struggle back to the top.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
22 November 1979 (UK) See more »Filming Locations:
Maidenhead Football Club, York Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, UK See more »Company Credits
Production Co:
Packer Organisation, Cinema Seven Productions Ltd., Elliott Kastner Productions See more »
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color
Edit
(uncredited)
Written by Gene Chandler, Earl Edwards and Bernice Williams
Performed by The Darts
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Ian McShane's father Harry McShane was a Scottish footballer, whose career included a spell at Manchester United. See more »Soundtracks
Duke Of Earl(uncredited)
Written by Gene Chandler, Earl Edwards and Bernice Williams
Performed by The Darts
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.
YESTERDAY'S HERO is an odd little film about a washed-up drunken footballer trying to get his life back on track. I watched it for two reasons: one is that I've been getting into these 'kitchen sink' type dramas recently and I was expecting more of the same, and two, I'm a massive fan of Ian McShane and I was looking forward to seeing him in a different role from the usual gangster tough guys and the like. I think it's fair to comment that McShane makes this movie. He completely convinces as the former star and gets the viewer on side despite not playing an entirely sympathetic hero. He's thoroughly believable and the consummate professional as always. Sadly, the rest of the film can't match his talent. The film was written by Jackie Collins and has a high level of cheese and schmaltz in it that I wasn't expecting.
Worst of all are the random disco dancing sequences which are shoe-horned into the plot at random intervals and which seem to go on and on endlessly. These feature American starlet Suzanne Somers and Adam Faith teaming up to perform a number of cheesy duets with some of the annoyingly catchy tunes playing repeatedly throughout. Now, I'm a fan of '70s music so I liked the tunes here, but they're completely out of place compared to the rest of the film which goes for a gritty atmosphere and they slow things down considerably. It's almost as if they were added in as an afterthought following the success of Saturday NIGHT FEVER and they do a disservice to McShane's central plot line.