After the 1993 VHS release, legal complications reared their ugly heads, and this title was taken off the market; as a result there has, so far, never been a DVD release, and except for a single presentation in May 1994, it's never been broadcast on Turner Classic Movies. The remake, International Squadron (1941), also fell into the same legal quagmire and has never been released on VHS nor DVD nor aired on TCM. These are the only James Cagney and Ronald Reagan titles to remain legally unavailable for public viewing at this time.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on
February 27, 1939 with James Cagney reprising his film role.
Due to legal reasons, Ceiling Zero is currently unavailable on DVD or Blu-ray in the US. It is available in European versions on DVD, which are "Region 2" editions that won't play on US "Region 1" DVD players.
Frank "Spig" Wead who wrote both the original Broadway play and the screenplay for this film, would later be portrayed by John Wayne in the John Ford film "The Wings of Eagles".
This film's earliest documented telecasts took place in Columbus Thursday 2 August 1956 on WTVN (Channel 6), in Tucson Monday 13 August 1956 on KDWI (Channel 9), in Indianapolis Saturday 18 August 1956 on WISH (Channel 8), in Cincinnati Wednesday 5 December 1956 on WKRC (Channel 12), and in Honolulu Saturday 1 June 1957 on WHVH (Channel 13).
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