The John Travolta Scrapbook: An Illustrated Biography

by Suzanne Munshower

The John Travolta An Illustrated Biography [paperback] Munshower, Suzanne [Jan 01, 1978]

121 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Suzanne Munshower is a former waitress, short-order cook, go-go girl, movie extra, celebrity interviewer, journalist, fashion columnist, advertising copywriter, and beauty industry publicist. The author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, she’s lived in New York, Los Angeles, San Juan, St. Thomas, London, Berlin, and Città di Castello, Italy. She currently resides in Las Vegas.

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this some years ago in a second hand store, and was slightly short of cash, so couldn't buy it. Sometimes a certain book (unowned) will lodge in my head, and pesters me until I finally acquire it. This was one of those books. What if someone else bought the John Travolta scrapbook during the following week? Buying it online from the US means paying shipping fees, which is often expensive. What would I do if I couldn't read the John Travolta scrapbook? What other book could compare?

I returned the following week and it was still there. The relief I felt was rather disproportionate to the situation, but I was obsessed with the man when I was a toddler, and I desperately wanted to read this book. I dislike musicals, but have seen "Grease" hundreds of times. I'm not that enamoured with movies that centre around dancing, but I enjoy "Saturday Night Fever". This book is early in his career, but if anything that adds to its appeal. I'm quite serious when I note that the transition from TV teen heartthrob to serious actor is not always easy, so this career transition as documented here is impressive.

The pictures are great, the text is often hilarious, though I think unintentionally - lots of attention is given to his type of woman, with the assurance that he's not that fussy, so the reader could have a shot.
Disconcertingly, the death of girlfriend Diana Hyland is addressed in a throwaway sentence, with little compassion offered to either Travolta, Hyland, or Hyland's young child. If anything the spin seems to be, "at least he's single now!". That odd approach to tragedy and grief is the reason why I can't quite award five stars, despite finding most of the book fun.

[Dana Henson]

The "biography" offers almost no insight on John Travolta. It talks a bit about his background, his devotion to Scientology, some of his roles and a few of his off-screen romances. It's a brisk read, it's less than 200 pages. The funny thing is, two whole chapters aren't even about Travolta. Munshower ran out of material to fill the page quota so instead she gives brief biographies of other cast members of Welcome Back, Kotter.
This was obviously produced to cash in on Travolta-Fever and as a silly piece of 70s history its kind of fun. It talks a lot about what kind of girls he's interested in so I'm guessing the prime demographic for this was teenagers who went to sleep with a Travolta poster hanging above their bed. I was hoping there would be more info on his early films like Saturday Night Fever or Carrie, but it's more focused on the Welcome Back, Kotter phenomenon, discussing the ways he's similar and dissimilar from Vincent Barbarino.

[brass · Rating 5 out of 5]

need i say more?

[m · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slightly repetitive, but I’m pretty sure the names John Travolta and Vinny Barberena will be etched in my skull for the rest of my life

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

my first non-choose-your-own-adventure book purchase.