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Plaque Marking John Travolta's Collapse In 'Phenomenon' Stolen From Auburn Street

AUBURN (CBS13) — A plaque marking where John Travolta collapsed in the movie "Phenomenon" has been stolen from an Auburn street.

It was nearly 20 years ago that the heart of Auburn was transformed into a major movie set. The town placed a marker in 2009 to commemorate the filming of the movie, starring Travolta.

"It used to say, 'Phenomenon: Everything is on its way to somewhere,'" said Bobby Joe Wright, who discovered the plaque was missing. That inscription referred to a line Travolta's character said in the movie.

"Of course every relative that comes into town, you have to drag them down here and say, 'This is where this was filmed,'" said Peggy Schechler.

But just like the flash in the sky, in a few moments, it was gone. Thieves apparently dug up the plaque in the middle of the night.

It wasn't until Wright was about to show a few tourists the copper stamp when he noticed it was no longer there.

"I turned around to show the boys the plaque, and it was gone," Wright said.

A simple part of history to remember the fall of 1995 when hundreds of locals hoped to land a small part in the film is now just a bump in the road.

Residents are hoping to collect $500 in donations to fill the hole with a new plaque.

 

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