Now this is truly entertainment

Musicals -- “That’s Entertainment Trilogy,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Damn Yankees”

Warner Home Video ($20 to $50)

Several vintage musicals make their DVD debuts, including the MGM musical retrospective “That’s Entertainment!,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Damn Yankees.”

That’s Entertainment Trilogy

One of the surprise hits of 1974 was “That’s Entertainment!” -- a loving documentary tribute to the classic MGM musicals such as “The Wizard of Oz,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “An American in Paris” as well as the studio’s stars, including Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra. Not only did the movie give younger audiences a taste for the glory days of Hollywood musicals, the popularity of “That’s Entertainment!” also advanced the cause of film preservation.

The four-disc set includes the two sequels, which were not as successful at the box office as the original. What 1976’s “That’s Entertainment, Part 2” does have is the undeniable chemistry between the film’s hosts, Kelly and Astaire. Kelly, who also directed the film, reappears as the host of 1994’s “That’s Entertainment! III,” which highlights several fun musical sequences that were left on the cutting room floor, including Garland performing Irving Berlin’s “Mr. Monotony,” which had been excised from “Easter Parade.”

Extras: All three films feature an introduction by Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne and the original theatrical trailers. The “That’s Entertainment! III” disc includes extended versions with numbers not seen in the theatrical release.

The fourth disc features numerous extras, including more than a dozen additional numbers left on the cutting room floor, a fascinating newsreel of MGM’s big 25th anniversary party, a 1974 featurette about the making of “That’s Entertainment!,” a 1975 featurette about MGM’s upcoming films and a campy excerpt from 1976’s “The Mike Douglas Show,” in which the TV host visits the set of “That’s Entertainment, Part 2” and talks with Astaire, Kelly and several other MGM stars. The piece de resistance, though, is a TV special on the star-studded Hollywood premiere of “That’s Entertainment!” 30 years ago. George Hamilton and then-wife Alana are the lovey-dovey hosts.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Along with Vincente Minnelli, Stanley Donen was one of the brightest talents directing musicals for MGM. He’s at the top of his game with this rollicking 1954 romance starring Howard Keel as a strapping Oregon mountain man who goes into town to get supplies and a wife (Jane Powell). Little does she know, though, that he has six younger, rambunctious brothers. The score by Gene DePaul and Johnny Mercer is a delight, as are the athletic dance numbers beautifully choreographed by Michael Kidd.

Extras: The two-disc DVD set includes the traditional CinemaScope version of the film, plus the rarely seen “flat” version, which was shot separately for theaters that weren’t equipped for CinemaScope.

There’s a decent “making of” documentary from a few years back that has been updated with new interviews, clips from the New York City premiere, a vintage CinemaScope short featuring conductor Johnny Green and the MGM orchestra performing selections from the studio’s music library, clips from the 30th anniversary celebration of MGM and sweetly nostalgic commentary from Donen.

Damn Yankees

Donen joined with George Abbott to direct this splashy 1958 adaptation of the hit Broadway musical -- a clever spoof of the Faustian legend -- about a middle-aged man so obsessed with the Washington Senators baseball team that he makes a pact with the devil (Ray Walston) to help the team beat the New York Yankees in the pennant race. Tab Hunter and the legendary Gwen Verdon, who like Walston came from the Broadway production, star. Bob Fosse supplied the sizzling choreography and dances in “Who’s Got the Pain?” with Verdon.

Extras: the trailer.