What caused all the commotion? Well, John, who is well known for the bad guy roles he has played in such films as Face Off, Broken Arrow and Pulp Fiction, was in Chicago as part of a whirlwind promotional tour for his upcoming film Battlefield Earth, based on the best-selling novel by L. Ron Hubbard. Travolta plays Terl - the alien security chief of a conquered Earth - who according to the actor is far more evil than any other movie character he has ever portrayed.

Luckily both the Mayor of Bolingbrook, Roger Claar, and Police Chief Kenneth Each were willing to overlook Travolta’s recent tendency to play villains and instead awarded him an honorary Police Chief’s badge.

Travolta’s fans turned out in mass, some arriving ten hours early so they could be the first in line. As the crowd grew bigger throughout the day, so did the excitement.

After signing 500-plus copies of Battlefield Earth and posing for hundreds of photographs, John received a mayoral and police escort to a waiting helicopter to take him to his next stop on his tour.  Even though it was a long day, there were over a thousand cheering fans waiting to see him off.

John gets to know one of his fans.

The Mayor and Police Chief of Bolingbrook
went out of their way to welcome John.

Chicago fans turned out in mass to meet
John Travolta at the Battlefield Earth book-signing
in Bolingbrook, IL.

Eager fans wait in line to get their copies of
Battlefield Earth signed by John.

John autographed more than 500 copies
of Battlefield Earth.

Hundreds of photographs of the actor were taken
throughout the book signing.

Local policemen and members of the SWAT Team
pose with one of their favorite villains.