''Ceiling Zero'' is a 1936 American adventure drama film directed by

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...

and starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

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 of ...

) and Dizzy Davis (

) flew together in the Army 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), 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 and Hal Wallis produced this film through Warner Bros., First National and Cosmopolitan Productions. Navy aviator turned screenwriter Frank 'Spig' Wead provided the script, based on the original three-act play he wrote for Broadway, which ran for a few months in 1935 at the Music Box Theatre; two decades later, Wead was portrayed by

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

in John Ford's screen biography of Wead, '' The Wings of Eagles'' (1957). Cagney and O'Brien appeared together in '' Devil Dogs of the Air'', 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