Ceiling Zero (Warner Bros.) (1936)

Family Is Greatest Thing In Life To Pat O’Brien Leading Player In “Ceiling Zero” Realizes Ambition Through Films Centuries ago a king climbed to the top of a high mountain, flung his arms to the heavens and broadcast: ‘‘Everything I see, I own. What more can I ask?”’ Pat O’Brien, currently featured in the Cosmopolitan Production ‘‘Ceiling Zero,’’ now showing at the ...................005 Theatre, as a First National release, doesn’t own everything he sees, yet he has something in common with that ancient monarch. Pat has everything he wants. The actor struggled for years on the stage, and couldn’t find the one thing he wanted most. He wanted to be head of his own family with the wherewithal io provide that family with security. Pat now has a family of three. He thanks Hollywood. His substantial salary insures him and his with security. Not once since joining the films has he argued about a role. Pat is a plugger and believes that no matter how sorry the part is, it is his duty to take it cheerfully. O’Brien has a host of friends. He also knows the difference between real friends and mere acquaintances. Among his close buddies are James Cagney, with him in ‘‘Ceiling Zero,’’?’ Frank McHugh and Spencer Tracy — Irishmen all. He has more friends. So many among his Hollywood colleagues that last year he was elected president of the Masquer’s Club, which is to the movies what the Lamb’s Club is to the New York stage. When he retired this year the Playing In Death’s Drama Fans Are Divided On Cagney Moustache James Cagney’s fans are stirred to a battle fever on the question of moustache or no moustache for the popular movie star. Since it got out that Cagney plays a moustached ex-war aviator in ‘‘Ceiling Zero,’’ the Cosmopolitan production which comes to the ..............00 Theatre OR aes , as a First National release, his fan mail doubled with about half for the hirsute adornment and the other half against Now Jimmy is in a quandary. age old custom of giving a party for the new president was cast aside to honor the retiring president, O’Brien. The actor is married to the beautiful Eloise Taylor, named by Rudolph Valentino as ‘‘The most beautiful girl in Iowa.’’ Harly this year Pat set his wife up in business. She is the owner of an exclusive women’s shop in Beverly Hills, a shop that is operating at a handsome profit. Pat owns his own mansion in the Brentwood Heights section of Los Angeles, a place famous for its hospitality. When the O’Briens entertain the guest list reads like a ‘“Who’s Who in Filmland.’? Pat is one man who will not be rushed. That explains why he became a motion picture star in reeord breaking time. When the Irish thespian was tramping the New York pavements seeking work, he was an impetuous chap. He quit one of his earlier jobs because a reviewer of a newspaper called him .one of ‘“New York’s ten most handsome actors.’’ Pat couldn’t take it. Pat lied about his age to get into the World War. He joined the Navy and got as far as the Great Lakes before the Armistice was signed. The war sobered him, for soon after he entered Marquette University and acquired an excellent education. How he graduated from the stage play of ‘‘The Front Page’’ to Hollywood films is history. Howard Hughes decided to make a screen version of the play and sent for Pat. There followed two years of free-lancing, then Pat accepted the Warner Bros. offer where he has been ever since. ‘*Ceiling Zero’’ is a glamorous romance of the air in which men laugh at life and death and take only love and friendship seriously. Besides O’Brien and Cagney the east includes June Travis, Stuart Erwin, Barton MacLane, Henry Wadsworth, Martha Tibbetts, Isabel Jewell and many others. Howard Hawks directed the picture from the screen play by Frank Wead, based on his stage drama. James Cagney, Pat O’Brien and June Travis in ‘‘Ceiling Zero,’’ the Cosmopolitan production that lifts the curtain on the life and death drama played behind the scenes in a great airport. First National will release this picture Ab the ...........-c...cccse TREAGVE ON. ........100csinee It is based on the sensational stage success by Lieut. Com. Frank Wead. Mat No. 206—20c James Cagney, Like Old King Cole, Wants Music Star Of “Ceiling Zero” Thrums His Guitar To Relax Between Scenes Old King Cole was a merry old soul and so at times is James Cagney, star of the Cosmopolitan production, ‘‘ Ceiling Zero,’’ which comes to the ..... te Sa 8 eee eee Theatre on Sate Gat fe. eet as a First National release. Every child knows that when the merry monarch of the nursery rhymes wanted to relax he sent for his pipe and his bowl and his three fiddlers. With the red headed actor it is different. He doesn’t smoke and he doesn’t drink and, although he wishes he could, he can’t fiddle. Neither does he have any fiddlers on his regular pay roll. So, when he wants to relax between scenes on the set of his victures, he sends for his guitar and his sheet music and he retires with these and a few trusted friends, to his dressing room between ‘‘takes.’’ There he twangs out simple melodies that soothe his ruffled spirits. Associates working with Cagney on his latest picture ‘‘ Ceiling Zero’? have learned to recognize the advance signs of the high tension nerves that cause Jimmy to send post haste for his guitar. The need for this musical solace is greater at the start of a picture than toward its close. An ordinary toy studio piano will suffice to keep the restless actor comfortable after the first two weeks of production. Bits from many songs sift through the canvas walls of the star’s portable dressing room after he has retired into its sacred precincts with his guitar in hand. Jimmy doesn’t take his guitar strumming seriously although he is and has long been deeply interested in music. He has studied piano and voice more or less regularly since coming to Hollywood. But he picks at the guitar in the most rudimentary fashion and without benefit of instruction. Director Howard Hawks always welcomed the news that Cagney had sent for his guitar. He knew that this would have a beneficial effect, particularly if Cagney had previously been pacing the floor, clinching and _ unelinching his hands and complaining about his inability to eat lunch. ““Ceiling Zero’’ is the story of three war buddies, who, in developing commercial aviation, are thrown together in the most exciting events of their careers. It is spiced by a glowing romance and comedy relief. Besides Cagney the cast includes Pat O’Brien, June Travis, Stuart Erwin, Barton MacLane, Henry Wadsworth, Martha Tibbetts, Isabel Jewell and many others. The screen play is by Frank Wead, who wrote the stage drama. June Travis Just Could Not Sock James Cagney Leading Lady In “Ceiling Zero” Wouldn’t Hit Him So Play Was Changed Cagney was getting fresh, see. And this particular girl didn’t like it. So she got her fist back, understand, to let him have it on the nose, when — “‘T — [ can’t do it!”’ June Travis cried. Now all this happened on the First National lot, while Howard Hawks was directing the Cosmopolitan production, “‘Ceiling Zero,’’ which comes to the ..............c0:cce Theatre Ole ariiniins In private life, of course, Cagney doesn’t get fresh at all. But, for the benefit of the picture, Cagney did get fresh, again, and again June set herself to sock him. Now, plenty of Hollywood ac-: tresses, or most other girls for! that matter, would have given} their left legs or their eye teeth, anyway, for June’s chance at the Cagney map. For Cagney himself, rose to fame socking dames, starting with grapefruit and Mad Clarke, while Joan Blondell, Patricia Ellis and Margaret Lindsay are among the very few who have had a chance to sock him back. Even sweet little Olivia de Havilland confesses to a yen to ‘‘eonk’’? Cagney, ‘‘just to sea what would happen.’’ But so far her sereen relations with him have been all too amicable. Here, then, was one girl in a million. June Travis, Cagney’s newest leading woman, had the golden opportunity to get even, and simply could not do it. Finally Director Hawks had to give up. The scene was rewritten, and it was discovered that June Travis could burn the pugnacious star up a lot better with a frigid contemptuous look than she could possibly have done with a sock. June herself wears tailored suits almost exclusively. Never a frilly dress. Even her evening gowns have a ‘‘shirtmaker’’ tailored quality, with Ascot scarves and lapels. June avoids anything which hints of the clinging vine, either in clothing or in girl friends. She likes an orderly life, and orderly people. And that’s why she couldn’t sock Cagney. ‘*Any situation in which a girl might have cause to hit a man,’’ June says, ‘‘is nothing but messy. And any girl who couldn’t get out of suc® a situation by using her brains instead of her fists would be nothing but messy, too.’? Of course, June admitted off hand, she’s had a few complaints from the boy friends. Most men, June thinks, like to fight with their girls, because it’s so much fun making up, particularly with a girl who is soft and yielding. She’s twenty-one years old, and ‘‘Romance,’’ she says, ‘‘and men can come later. I’ve got to prove indispensable to myself before I could be happy with anyone else.’’ June Travis is a healthy, wholesome American girl, of medium height and medium weight and a lot of healthy becoming freckles. Her hair is black and she wears it close to her head, brushed back and up, and curled past her small ears. Her home life has been cultured and she’s never known poverty. Her father is Harry Grabiner, vice president of the Chicago White Sox. She attended exclusive girls’ schools and two universities and has done a lot of traveling. Large parties frighten June Travis. She likes women, but has made only three intimate friends among her own sex during her brief lifetime, because she has a dearth of small talk. She likes men for pals, finding that they eliminate pettiness and meaningless chatter. She adores Hollywood social life because the people are sane, gracious and fun-loving, and likes her friends cultured yet capable of a little hey-hey. In short, June Travis sums herself up in a mouthful as an analytical introvert with a tailored mind. That—if you catch on—is why she couldn’t sock James Cagney! ‘‘Ceiling Zero’’ is the story of three war buddies, who in developing commercial aviation are thrown together in the most exciting events of their careers. It is spiced by a glowing romance and comedy relief. Besides James Cagney and Miss Travis the cast includes Pat O’Brien, Stuart Erwin, Barton MacLane, Henry Wadsworth, Martha Tibbetts, Isabel Jewell and many others. The screen play is by Frank Wead, who wrote the stage play. With The Peacetime Aces James Cagney (center) Pat O’Brien and June Travis make merry despite the shadow of death that hangs over them as they blaze the air trails of the world in the Cosmopolitan production ‘‘Ceiling Zero,’’ which comes Oe i [2k ee Seam ates PROUT E ON vic. hati vss Mat No. 201—20c Page Twenty-five