Ceiling Zero
Crackling with drama that will win your cheers...if you can cheer when your heart's in your throat!
1936 | 95m | English
Popularity: 0.7 (history)
| Director: | Howard Hawks |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Frank Wead |
| Staring: |
| War veteran pilots Dizzy Davis, Texas Clark and Jake Lee are working in an airline. Dizzy is fooling with one of the younger pilot's girl-friend and due to this he changes flights with Texas. | |
| Release Date: | Jan 16, 1936 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Howard Hawks |
| Writer: | Frank Wead |
| Genres: | Adventure, Drama, Romance |
| Keywords | texas, pilot |
| Production Companies | Warner Bros. Pictures, Cosmopolitan Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 29, 2026 Entered: Apr 20, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| James Cagney | Dizzy Davies |
| Pat O'Brien | Jake L. Lee |
| June Travis | Tommy Thomas |
| Stuart Erwin | Texas Clarke |
| Barton MacLane | Al Stone |
| Henry Wadsworth | Tay Lawson |
| Isabel Jewell | Lou Clarke |
| Martha Tibbetts | Mary Miller Lee |
| Craig Reynolds | Joe Allen |
| Dick Purcell | Smiley (as Dick Purcell) |
| Carlyle Moore Jr. | Eddie Payson |
| Addison Richards | Fred Adams |
| Garry Owen | Mike Owens |
| Edward Gargan | Doc Wilson |
| Robert Light | Les Bogan |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Howard Hawks | Director |
| Arthur Edeson | Director of Photography |
| Orry-Kelly | Costume Design |
| Frank Wead | Screenplay, Theatre Play |
| John Hughes | Art Direction |
| William Holmes | Editor |
| Perc Westmore | Makeup Artist |
| Fred Jackman | Special Effects |
| Name | Title |
|---|
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Position
A trio of wartime pilots are working on the US Mail routes, flying in all weathers trying to keep the post moving across a nation where the weather can change with little, or no, notice. “Jake” (Pat O’Brien) leads the gang, “Tex” (Stuart Erwin) is the dependable type and the pencil-moustachioed “Diz ... zy” (James Cagney) is a bit of a loose cannon. It’s this latter guy who is constantly causing problems for his boss, but things take a more tragic turn when he swaps shifts so he can do some flirting and, well suffice to say that soon “Dizzy” is feeling exactly that. The story here is really quite a compelling one, depicting just how risky their jobs were when they couldn’t see the end of the plane’s nose, there were no lit landing strips (even at Newark!) and these brave guys flew by the seat of their pants. O’Brien is prone to a little over-acting but together with Cagney they create quite an intense drama that keeps the romance to a minimum and the characters to the fore.