Ceiling Zero
| Ceiling Zero | |
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Theatrical Film Poster
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| Directed by | Howard Hawks |
| Produced by |
Jack L. Warner Hal Wallis |
| Written by | Frank Wead |
| Starring |
James Cagney Pat O'Brien |
| Music by | M.K. Jerome Bernhard Kaun |
| Cinematography | Arthur Edeson |
| Edited by | William Holmes |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ceiling Zero is a 1936 adventure/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.
Old pals Jake Lee (Pat O'Brien), Tex Clarke (Stuart Erwin) and Dizzy Davis (James Cagney) 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-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), 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 Cincinnati in the evening, pretends he is suddenly sick and gets Tex to replace him. Tex makes it to Ohio, 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.
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Wikipedia