[VIDEO REVIEWS]How Deep Is Your Love (for Travolta)?

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[VIDEO REVIEWS]How Deep Is Your Love (for Travolta)?

You can blame the 1970s' three-piece polyester suit and gold chain craze on one man: John Travolta.

Travolta appeared in Broadway musicals, then television sitcoms, then movies. By the time he starred, danced and sang in "Saturday Night Fever," "Grease" and "Urban Cowboy," he was The Man for fashion and music. The actor made disco groovy, then almost set a trend for 10-gallon cowboy hats.

But like many stars, Travolta's flame blazed brightly, then quickly fizzled. By the early '80s, he had a string of flops. The king of cool, though, has proved rather adept at stayin' alive.

Travolta has made a series of comebacks over the years, most notably the brilliant "Pulp Fiction" in 1994, where he once again did a little dancing. That success led to other film roles. His latest is "Swordfish," now showing in Korean theaters. He is his usual charismatic self, even if he does not have a dancing role and is a few pounds heavier. If you want to see what the Travolta hype is all about, check out these two flicks that helped make his career.



SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977) "Toyoilbameui Yeolgi" in Korean

Directed by John Badham. Starring Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Donna Pescow, Barry Miller, Joseph Call and Paul Pape.

The whole disco scene and the Bee Gees' music are central to the story, but "Saturday Night Fever" is actually a gritty tale about poverty, abuse, coming of age and escaping to the big city.

Travolta was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of Tony Manero, a 19-year-old Italian-American from a lower-class Brooklyn family. He and his buddies (Miller, Call, Pape) have dead-end lives and rough families.

His daily life may be full of angst and frustration, but on Saturday nights, Manero gets decked out in polyester and gold chains and heads to the local disco, 2001 Odyssey. There he meets Stephanie (Gorney), who represents Manhattan and class. He ditches his dance partner and love interest Annette (Pescow) for Stephanie and starts training for a local dance competition. Winning the $500 prize money becomes part of his dream for a better life.



GREASE (1978)

Directed by Randal Kleiser. Starring Travolta, Olivia Newton-John and Stockard Channing.

"Grease" was a defining moment for Travolta and many fans are still hopelessly devoted. A campy high school song-and-dance fest, this movie is a fun-filled tribute to the '50s.

The summer before his senior year, Danny Zuko (Travolta), a greaser with slick hair and moves that could put Elvis Presley to shame, has a summer fling with Sandy (Newton-John). Sandy, an Australian spending the summer in the United Sates, is a sweet, blonde cheerleader type who does not fit Danny's image. So when Sandy shows up at Rydell High as an exchange student, sparks and enmity start flying.

Sandy dates the high school jock, but also joins the Pink Ladies, a gum-snapping clique of leather-clad girls led by Rizzo (Channing). Watch for the musical numbers "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightning" and "You're the One That I Want."




by Joe Yong-hee

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