Indeed, those who have worked with him form a choir of ardent admirers, attesting to a nice-guy persona and a sense of play. “I've worked with a lot of big stars, and he's the only one who's ever actually knocked on my trailer door just to come in and talk and hang out,” says Christian Slater, whose fondest memory of the Broken Arrow shoot is the day Travolta taught him the hand-jive sequence from Grease. “He's like an old-time movie star, like the way you'd think Cary Grant would be – smart and funny and fun to be around.”

“John is, literally, a goofball,” adds Sonnenfeld. “He would dance, pick people up, make fun of me, do imitations of various crew members. He is in character none of the day except between 'Roll camera' and 'Cut.'”

Shorty co-star Rene Russo simply says, “John Travolta embodies cool.”

Fit and casual in black jeans, a white shirt and well-cut blazer, Travolta makes an entrance today that is nonetheless startling, as if a famous cartoon character has sprung to life before your very eyes. His face gives credence to Merv Griffin's adage that big heads look good on camera: oversize and pale, set off by electric-blue eyes and soft, latex-y lips. Shards of gray run through his dark hair. “Oh, hi. I'm John,” he says, as if you'd mistake him for anyone else.