Guest Author - Sandy Mullins

John Travolta is the twentieth recipient of the Museum of the Moving Image Salute, which is presented to people who career in movies has had a great effect on movie industry and its audiences. The Museum of Moving Image is the only museum that is devoted to all forms of the moving image, whether it is film, TV or digital media. The first recipient was Director Sidney Lumpet of movies such as ‘12Angry Men’ & ‘Murder on The Orient Express’ (to name a few).

A few of the past recipients have included people such as: Director Ella Kazan of movies such as‘On the Waterfront’ and ‘Streetcar Named Desire’, Actor Jimmy Stewart of movies such as ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘Glenn Miller Story’, Actor Sydney Poitier of movies such as ‘Lilies of the Field’ and ‘To Sir With Love’ (to name a few), and Director/Producer Steven Spielberg of movies such as‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘Jurassic Park’.

John Travolta first hit the TV screen as Vinnie Barbarino, the cute, loveable, not so an intelligent, wise cracking leader of the “Sweathogs.” John received very little credit as a talented and skillful actor and was almost stuck in the roll.

John wasn’t willing to let himself be type cast as a certain type of actor and looked for diverse rolls and 45 movies later he has played just about any type of role you can imagine. John Travolta’s movie debut was in 1975 in ‘Devils Rain’ a cult style horror flick then to ‘The Boy in the Plastic Bubble’ as a young teenager who was born without an active immune system. His next role was starring in Brian De Palma big screen version of Steven Kings’ ‘Carrie’, as one of Carrie’s tormentors. Then in 1977 John Travolta got his first real break as Tony Manero the New Yorker, still living at home and stuck in a no where job who loves to dance disco in ‘Saturday Night Fever’. It starts to look like John Travolta is heading for music related movies when he starred in his next big hit, the film version of the long running stage play ‘Grease’. John Travolta not only danced this time he sang. John Travolta’s movie roles were not always blockbusters but he never failed at trying something new as in Moment by Moment.

John Travolta’s next big roll was as Bud a country boy who just wanted to drink and do some county dancing after a hard day’s work, in ‘Urban Cowboy’ who falls in and out of love in the movie that brought country dancing (line dancing and two step) popular even with city dwellers.

John Travolta’s next few movies were only average not blockbusters: ‘Blowout’, ‘Staying Alive’ (sequel to Saturday Night Fever),’Two of a Kind’, ‘Perfect’, and ‘Dumb Waiter’. Then he hit the box office gold again with ‘Look Who’s Talking’ a movie where you hear what a child thinks of life from the moment right before conception till John, his babysitter falls for his mom and they marry and all live happily ever after. John Travolta’s movies take another down slide with ‘Eyes of an Angel’ and ‘Experts’

The 90's were a year of mostly big hits with the following movies:’ Look Who’s Talking Too’ a sequel, ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Get Shorty’, ‘Broken Arrow’, ‘ Michael’, ‘Face Off’, ‘Mad City’, ‘Phenomenon’, ‘Primary Colors’, ‘The Thin Red Line’, ‘A Civil Action’ and the ‘General Daughter’. His not so blockbuster movies for the 90's were: ‘Chains of Gold’, ‘Look Who’s Talking Now’ another sequel, ‘White Man’s Burden’, and ‘She’s So Lovely’.The Millennium started slow for John Travolta with: ‘Lucky Numbers’ and ‘Battleship Earth”.
The release of movies like: ‘Swordfish’, ‘Domestic Disturbance’, ‘Basic’, ‘The Punisher’ and his last great movie ‘Ladder 49', this decade looks like a stellar period for John.

John Travolta loved to fly air planes and used every penney of his first paychecks to learn to fly. He had trained to fly as Captain in Gulfstream II, Lear 24, hawker 1A, Citation 1 and 2, Tevuan and Vampire Jet, Je is also qualified to fly as first officer in a Boeing 707 and keeps his credentials current.

John Travolta is happily married to Kelly Preston (actress) and the mother to his son and daughter.

Congratulations to John Travolta for his latest award. Be sure to turn into USA and watch when ‘Moving Image Salutes John Travolta with all his fellow actors, friends and family,

USA Network (offsite link)

John Travolta Website (offsite link)

American Museum of the Movie Image (offsite link)