VIDEO : HOW JOHN TRAVOLTA IS STAYIN' ALIVE.

Byline: Robert Bianco Special to the Daily News

Just because an actor makes a comeback doesn't mean he's come back to the same place.

John Travolta got his first shot at movie fame as the singing and dancing star of the two most successful music-driven films of the '70s. His '90s comeback stardom is based on far darker material - as the mother of a friend of mine discovered to her dismay when she went to see ``Pulp Fiction'' because it starred ``that nice boy'' from ``Grease'' and ``Saturday Night Fever.'' She left ``Fiction'' feverish, all right, but not happy.

Oddly enough, though, she was still happy with Travolta, an actor whose innate appeal has triumphed over any number of bad or off-putting vehicles (starting with ``Welcome Back, Kotter,'' one of the worst-written and worst-performed sitcoms ever to have an extended run). He's chunkier now, and the sexy swagger is built on a more casual confidence. But Travolta can still come across as a ``nice boy,'' even when he's playing a violent, vulgar character like the loan-shark hero of ``Get Shorty'' (1995, MGM/UA; priced for rental). Travolta's ease at hitting both beats at once is exactly what makes the film, and the actor, so appealing.

Based on Elmore Leonard's book, ``Get Shorty'' is a satiric caper-comedy about a minor mob player (Travolta) who decides he'd rather make movies, a decision that triggers a gangster invasion of Hollywood. The trouble - and the joke - is, the only way to tell the gangsters from the producers is the gangsters say what they mean. In Hollywood, that's almost criminal.

Like many Travolta films, ``Get Shorty'' never quite gets going in the way you hope it will: Though the characters are amusing, they're not real enough to be truly involving. Still, even if the film is nothing more than an extended comic conceit, it is a very funny conceit, and one that should be a welcome rental as TV collapses into its rerun season.

Even more than ``Pulp Fiction,'' which was, after all, Quentin Tarantino's show, ``Get Shorty'' re-established Travolta as a genuine film star. The road between first stardom and second chance was a long one; here are some films that paved the way:

``Saturday Night Fever'' (1977, Paramount; $14.95): If you want to understand Travolta's continuing grip on the popular imagination, you have to catch ``Fever.'' Just don't expect to really enjoy it, despite the magnetism of Travolta's performance. Unfortunately, that's all that's magnetic; time has not otherwise been kind to the music, the sexual attitudes or the clothes. Really, how can boomer parents complain about what teen-agers wear these days when we were the silliest-looking generation since the powdered dandies who lost their heads in the French court?

``Grease'' (1978, Paramount; $14.95): This is one of the most popular film musicals ever made, which doesn't say a lot for popular taste. (This is the best Hollywood could think to do with co-star Stockard Channing? No wonder the movies are in trouble.) Travolta's charm, however, and the '50s kitsch score are enough to carry it through. He's not as sexy here as he was in ``Saturday Night Fever.''

``Blow Out'' (1981, Warner; $14.99): Though it's sometimes a bit too showy for its own good, this Brian DePalma tribute to ``Blow-Up'' gave Travolta his best role and best film of the '80s.

``Staying Alive'' (1983, Paramount; $14.99): Has any major star ever had worse taste in material? This ridiculous ``Fever'' sequel is just about what you'd expect from director Sylvester Stallone, who put his star through a ``Rocky''-type preproduction physical regimen. The movie, a male variant of ``42nd Street,'' was hardly worth the exercise effort, but the physical results are impressive: Travolta never looked better.

``Perfect'' (1985, Columbia TriStar; $14.95): Well, you can't have a comeback if there isn't something you need to come back from. As long as ``Moment by Moment'' is unavailable on tape, ``Perfect'' will reign as the worst Travolta rental. ``Two of a Kind'' is even more boring, but ``Perfect'' throws in aerobics, which takes it to its own special level of camp.

``Look Who's Talking'' (1989, Columbia TriStar; $14.99): Though film critics and the film community wouldn't catch on until ``Pulp Fiction,'' the film audience re-embraced Travolta in this sleeper hit, a minor but enjoyable comedy that benefited greatly from Travolta's warmth. Stick to the original, however; the sequels practically define ``diminishing returns.''

``Pulp Fiction'' (1994, Miramax; $19.99): Even if you haven't seen it, you probably already know if you'd like it. A great film, but as my friend's surprised mother would say, ``It ain't for the squeamish.''

MEMO: Robert Bianco's column appears on Fridays.

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Photo: John Travolta reinvents himself as a Miami loan shar k who teams up with Rene Russo's B-movie actress in ``Get Shorty,'' the actor's most recent comeback vehicle.