Movie Myth Busted

[MFS62]

I’ve read and heard many times that one of the ground breaking things about “Citizen Kane” (1941) is that it was the first time a ceiling had been shown in a movie set. 
i just saw “the Mark of Zorro” (1940) in which Tyrone Power thrusts his sword into the ceiling of a tavern. 
so much for movie history. 
later

[Benjamin Grimm]

Citizen Kane did an effect with something called an "optical printer" (I don't remember the details of what that was) but it allowed for the camera to pan upwards through a ceiling. For example, a scene may have been taking place on the first floor, but then the camera started rising, passing through the floor/ceiling to a scene on the second floor. Maybe that's what you're thinking about?