Whatever It Takes is one of the great "little Kiwi battler'' stories told brilliantly, Jim Sullivan writes. Whatever It Takes gives us a frame-by-frame story of O'Shea, covering the topic in such detail that the film-history buff could hardly want for more. Often an American or British film would hog the screens, while a local film-maker, like O'Shea had a multitude of obstacles to overcome. To remain solvent, O'Shea's Pacific Films relied on short features commissioned by BP, General Motors or TEAL and government departments. Television, torn between reserving work for its staff and being seen to support the private film industry, was never a great supporter of Pacific Films and other private film-makers.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 20, 2019 23:48 UTC