Sure Cures (1946) User Reviews (6)

Early era docudrama comedy short about home remedies

[SimonJack · 5/10 · 27 December 2022]

"Sure Cures" is an 11-minute short that played with an MGM feature film in late 1946. This appears as a Pete Smith Specialty, in which Pete Smith narrates and Dave O'Brien is the sole member of the cast. These shorts are types of docudramas that the major studios made in the early decades of sound pictures. I just watched this as a bonus item on the DVD release of a 1946 Esther Williams movie that was actually made nearly half a year before the short was filmed.

This one is a comical portrayal of so-called home remedies and market place cures for certain conditions. In this case, O'Brien's character, Xavier Schmeckendorff, tries the various means to stop baldness, cure insomnia and overcome the hiccups. I can recall these type of shorts being slightly funny, or more goofy than funny, way back when. But, most often they were the wamups before the main feature film that allowed one to be a little late, or finish buying popcorn or candy in the lobby before the start of the films. But, as I recall, previews showed first, then these shorts, and then the cartoon right before the feature. We always tried to be on time to see the cartoons.

When looking for evidence of "Political Correctness" running amuck across . . .

[tadpole-596-918256 · 6/10 · 21 February 2020]

. . . the face of America, one need glance no further than this space in general, and the discussion about SURE CURES in particular. I have it on good authority that if you submit a piece about SURE CURES that mentions "greener pastures," it will never see the light of day because of the nefarious American Leprechaun Guild. (Instead, it will be censored, squelched and permanently "lost" with NO explanation whatsoever to the submitter!) Furthermore, if such a comment would dare to use the common expression "Heck," it will be similarly stricken from the record due to this being one of those "wash-your-mouth-out-with-a-bar-of-soap" red flags during the 1890s, according to some 1950s MUSIC MAN fable. Even worse, if this not-so-hypothetical comment stuck its neck out to present the Proper Name "Bimbo," this would be an additional reason to subject it to the Eternal Purgatory of stymied Free Speech because some culturally illiterate wenches never learned that Bimbo is the name of Betty B-o-o-p's dog. And don't even get me started on what happens if a writer were to include the phrase "tire gauge" within an attempt at communication, since it's a well-know fact that the auto company whose name has the same number of letters as and rhymes with the word "Lord" has retained the services of several reputation protection companies to cover up the fact that they've been known to equip their new vehicles with exploding wheel assemblies. The bottom line is that there is practically no form of meaningful content acceptable to the insidious if robotic censors "protecting" the USA from the Truth when it comes to internet content, as evident from the cogently-challenged and sparse in number opines actually posted here about SURE CURES.

I just am not a fan of the Pete Smith Specialties

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 7 December 2013]

I recently read an older book by Leonard Maltin all about Hollywood shorts. In it, he seemed to have an appreciation of the Pete Smith films that I just have never found myself. I'm not at all saying he's wrong--but the films just haven't appealed to me because of Smith's VERY broad narration as well as the corny humor.

In this installment, Smith narrates as Dave O'Brien does the acting--the same pattern that the pair followed through the 40s and 50s. This film is about home remedies for minor problems and you see O'Brien work on growing hair, curing insomnia and ridding himself of hiccups. The best of the jokes are only okay--many others fall flat. The only part that interested me were the segments on baldness because O'Brien sure looks bald--and either the makeup people did a great job or he hid his hairpiece very well in previous installments of the series. You know it's pretty bad when THIS is the best thing about the short!

Given the torture this guy goes through trying to cures his hiccoughs, I think I'd keep them, myself!

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 24 May 2001]

This is another of the Pete Smith Specialities, which was co-written and directed by Dave O'Brien, who plays the poor fool with the hiccoughs. He tries various "remedies" to "cure" himself (some of which Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition might have applauded) to no avail. It's all great fun, for everyone but the poor twit. O'Brien frequently played a character not likely to be joining Mensa any time soon in these shorts. This runs on TCM as filler fairly often and virtually every March as part of the "31 Days of Oscar". Most recommended.

Xavier T. Schmeckendorff

[boblipton · 8/10 · 5 April 2021]

That's the name that Dave O'Brien goes by in this funny short. He had spent most of the 1930s as a minor cowboy star and director of oaters before he hooked up with a Smith called Pete for the last ten years or so of Pete's career as a producer-narrator of comedy one-reelers for MGM. This early one was nominated for an Oscar, possibly because O'Brien didn't wear his toupee for part of this one when Pete is discussing non-existent cures for baldness, among issues of how many glasses of water you have to drink to put down the hiccups or which side of the bed you should sleep on. Or maybe it's because MGM pushed this one on the Academy. Whatever. It's very enjoyable.

After Pete stopped making them in 1955, O'Brien -- or Barclay, depending on whether he was writing, directing or taking a pratfall -- went to work writing for Red Skelton's TV show. He won an Emmy for that work.

Great Laughs

[Michael_Elliott · 24 February 2009]

Sure Cures (1946)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Hilarious Pete Smith short picked up an Oscar-nomination for Best One-Reeler. The short talks about various "sure cures", which more often than not are just myths that don't have anything to stand on. We get various so-called cures for baldness, hiccups and of course insomnia. If you're familiar with any of Smith's Specialty shorts then you know what to expect. Co-writer/director O'Brien also stars as our hero, the man who tortures himself trying to figure out these various cures. O'Brien can be quite annoying at times but at other times he's downright hilarious and that's where he is here. His constant battle with insomnia was incredibly hilarious especially the bit where the bed starts to squeak. Another funny sequence was the stuff dealing with baldness and this includes a section where O'Brien tries standing on his head but naturally this doesn't work without a lot of damage.