Ah, those great M-G-M musicals! "The Wizard of Oz," "Singin’ in the Rain," "The Bandwagon," "Gigi," "An American in Paris." None of these titles are included in Classic Musicals from the Dream Factory [Warner Home Video]. There is not what one might call a great film among the titles. But the assembled parts! Here is a five-DVD treasury of movie musical scenes, many of them all-the-less-familiar because said scenes are not part of the universally beloved and oft-watched films listed above.

"It’s Always Fair Weather" (1955) is a five-star vehicle led by Gene Kelly. Cyd Charisse and Dan Dailey have their adherents, but Broadway fans will be most interested in the other two. Dolores Gray was an acknowledged scene stealer, who had earned her wings playing Merman’s role in the smash London company of Annie Get Your Gun. Even more interesting, perhaps, is Michael Kidd, who by this point had already choreographed Finian’s Rainbow and Guys and Dolls. Betty Comden and Adolph Green wrote the screenplay and lyrics, to music by Andre Previn. While "It’s Always Fair Weather" is relatively unknown – all five of these films are making their DVD debut – it provides refreshing viewing, especially with the Kelly-Dailey-Kidd trashcan dance and Kelly’s "I Like Myself," on roller skates.

"Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946) purports to be the biography of Jerome Kern, who died in 1945. Robert Walker plays Jerry, and not so believably. Even so, the film is filled with Kern songs and overloaded with movie stars. Garland, Sinatra, Lena, Dinah Shore, and even our own Angela, two decades before she came to Broadway singing Sondheim. "Three Little Words" (1950) is another composer biopic, this time focusing on Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, a pair of relatively forgotten songwriters from Broadway and Hollywood. Fred and Red – Astaire and Skelton, that is – portray the pair, with young Debbie Reynolds stepping in to sing "I Wanna Be Loved by You."

"Summer Stock" (1950) isn’t much of a movie, but it includes Judy Garland – in black fedora, suit jacket and tights – giving her iconic performance of Arlen’s "Get Happy." Gene Kelly costars, with comic relief from Phil Silvers. Most interesting, perhaps, if somewhat uneven, is the colorful but overblown "Ziegfeld Follies" (1946). Astaire dances with Kelly, to the Gershwin’s "Babbitt and the Bromide"; Fanny Brice, Lucille Ball, Red Skelton and Victor Moore clown (although not together); Esther Williams swims; and Lena Horne heats up the place with the steamy "Love."