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''Ceiling Zero'' is a 1936 American
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme sp ...
drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. The picture stars Cagney as daredevil womanizing pilot "Dizzy" Davis and O'Brien as Jake Lee, his war veteran buddy and the operations manager of an airline company. Based on a stage play of the same name, the film blends drama with some light comedy. The title, as defined at the beginning of the picture, is an insider term referring to those moments when the sky is so thick with fog that navigating an aircraft is nearly impossible.


Plot

Old pals Jake Lee ( Pat O'Brien), Tex Clarke (
Stuart Erwin Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Early years Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California. He attended Porterville High School and the University o ...
) and Dizzy Davis ( James Cagney) flew together in the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
during World War I. Almost 20 years later, Jake is the manager of the Newark, New Jersey branch of Federal Airlines, a
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...
-based airline company. Tex works as an airmail pilot and Dizzy, also still flying aircraft, is seeking employment with his friends. Prior to his hot-shot arrival (Dizzy does a few tricks in the air before landing), a New York associate warns Jake about Dizzy, calling him unreliable and troublesome. Insulted, Jake replies that Dizzy is one of the best pilots in the country, telling a few stories about his fearlessness and bravery. Jake hires Dizzy as an airmail pilot. Dizzy is immediately attracted to "Tommy" Thomas (
June Travis June Travis (born June Dorothea Grabiner; August 7, 1914 – April 14, 2008) was an American film actress. Background Born June Dorothea Grabiner, she was the daughter of Harry Grabiner, vice-president of the Chicago White Sox in the 1930s. ...
), a 19-year-old girl also working there, who has just learned to fly solo. In order to go on a date with her, Dizzy, scheduled for a flight to Cleveland in the evening, pretends he is suddenly sick and gets Tex to replace him. Tex makes it to Cleveland, but on the way back to New Jersey, finds himself in a cold and heavy fog. Though there is zero visibility and he is having radio problems, he attempts to land in Newark. He crashes into one of the airport hangars and the aircraft catches on fire. Tex is taken to the hospital where he later dies. Tex's wife Lou (
Isabel Jewell Isabel Jewell (July 19, 1907 – April 5, 1972) was an American actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s and early 1940s. Some of her more famous films were '' Ceiling Zero'', '' Marked Woman'', ''A Tale of Two Cities'', and '' Gone with ...
), who was never very fond of Dizzy, blames him for her husband's death. She calls him selfish and irresponsible and says that he hurts everything he touches. Dizzy, overwhelmed with guilt, returns to the airport. Meanwhile, the weather has gotten even worse and Jake has canceled all other flights. In addition, the aviation authorities have revoked Dizzy's pilot license, for extraneous reasons. Jake consoles Dizzy on account of both losses and then goes home for the night, leaving him temporarily in charge. Another pilot, unaware of the cancellation, comes into the operations building, ready for his scheduled flight to Cleveland. Chagrined and burdened with his culpability, Dizzy demands the man explain how the newly acquired and, as yet, untested aircraft de-icers function, then knocks the man unconscious and irrationally takes his aircraft. Jake and the others are devastated when they find out. Dizzy radios information over to them about the de-icers. They work to a degree, but the system is flawed. He reports by radio on the problems of the system and his recommendations for modifications, knowing that he will watch progressive icing until he dies. He does not make it through the snow storm.


Cast


Production

Jack L. Warner Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned some ...
and
Hal Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing ''Casablanca'' (1942), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and '' True Grit'' (1969), along w ...
produced this film through
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
, First National and
Cosmopolitan Productions Cosmopolitan Productions, also often referred to as Cosmopolitan Pictures, was an American film company based in New York City from 1918 to 1923 and Hollywood until 1938. History Newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst formed Cosmopolitan in co ...
. Navy aviator turned screenwriter Frank 'Spig' Wead provided the script, based on the original three-act play he wrote for
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
, which ran for a few months in 1935 at the Music Box Theatre; two decades later, Wead was portrayed by John Wayne in
John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...
's screen biography of Wead, ''
The Wings of Eagles ''The Wings of Eagles'' is a 1957 American Metrocolor film starring John Wayne, Dan Dailey and Maureen O'Hara, based on the life of Frank "Spig" Wead and the history of U.S. Naval aviation from its inception through World War II. The film is ...
'' (1957). Cagney and O'Brien appeared together in ''
Devil Dogs of the Air ''Devil Dogs of the Air'' (a.k.a. ''Flying Marines'') is a 1935 Warner Bros. film, directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien, playing similar roles as close friends after making their debut as a "buddy team" in ''Here Co ...
'', another aviation-themed film, also in 1935. The budget was limited, as ''Ceiling Zero'' was shot entirely either in the studio or on the backlot.


Reception

Describing it as "tersely written, handsomely produced and played to perfection", Frank Nugent in '' The New York Times'' declared it " ... a constantly absorbing chronicle of life in and around a commercial airport." He also called the film "one of the best to come from the Warner studios." Film critic Leonard Maltin in a later review, gave it 3 out of 4 stars calling it "one of the best Cagney-O'Brien vehicles."Maltin. Leonard
"Review: 'Ceiling Zero' (1936)."
''Turner Classic Movies''. Retrieved: May 9, 2015.


References

Notes Bibliography * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .


External links

* *

at howardhawksmovies.com
Still
at gettyimages.com {{Howard Hawks 1936 films 1936 adventure films American aviation films Films directed by Howard Hawks American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films American adventure drama films 1930s adventure drama films 1936 drama films Warner Bros. films 1930s American films Films scored by Bernhard Kaun American films based on plays Films set in New Jersey Films about veterans