San Francisco Frontiers - 'Better than the Oscar': John Travolta gets surprise Cannes prize

The man who became an icon overnight with "Saturday Night Fever" was visibly moved as he accepted the honorary Palme d'Or before the screening of "Propeller One-Way Night Coach", which is based on a children's book he wrote.

"I just can't believe it. This is beyond the Oscar, really," he said as he accepted the honorary Palme d'Or.

"My favourite movies in the history of my life have always been the winners of the Palme d'Or."

Travolta -- who has never won an Oscar -- revived his flagging career with his iconic turn as hitman Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction", which won the festival's Palme d'Or top prize in 1994.

Many critics hailed it as his greatest performance, one that has since gone down in cinema history.

Cannes had kept the award under wraps until Travolta walked on stage for the premiere.

Beyond the award, Travolta, 72, said he was hugely surprised to have his directorial debut, which stars his daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta, accepted at the world's most prestigious film festival.

He said when its director Thierry Fremaux told him in November that "it would be the first film ever accepted that early I cried like a baby.

"I had no expectation my film would be accepted," he added.

A lifelong aeroplane nut, "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" is an autobiographical tale that unfolds in the golden age of aviation.

It tells of a young airplane fan making a one-way trip to Hollywood with his mother.

"Everyone that was in the movie is sitting in the audience right there, my family.

"And this is why this film exists and why I exist as an artist because of those people right there," he added, motioning to his family and crew.

M.Powell--SFF