New batch of DVDs fun and informative

Here is a disparate batch of new-to-DVD movies, including a comedy based on a Noel Coward play, a pair of highly entertaining documentaries and four vintage Sherlock Holmes pictures.

"Easy Virtue" (Sony Classics/Blu-ray, 2009, PG-13, $39.95). Jessica Biel isn't the first person you might think of for a period adaptation of a Noel Coward play, but she acquits herself nicely as an American feminist who marries a wealthy Brit and then tries to win over her snooty in-laws.

That's especially difficult with her new mother-in-law (Kristin Scott Thomas), who is determined to hate her. World-weary dad (Colin Firth), on the other hand, finds her to be a breath of fresh air and doesn't much care what the others think.

Biel's performance isn't a home run but she holds her own with the excellent British cast. Firth is quite delightful, getting the lion's share of witty one-liners, along with Kris Marshall as the hilarious butler.

Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurette, bloopers, trailers (also on DVD, $28.96)

"Note By Note: The Making of Steinway L1037" (Documrama, 2007, $26.95). This story of the title concert grand piano is a perfect example of how just about any subject can be engrossing in the right hands. Beautifully constructed with great respect for the subject and meticulous attention to detail (along with a few celebrity contributors, ranging from Harry Connick Jr. to Helene Grimaud), this is a fascinating look at loving craftsmanship.

Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes, extended interviews/performances, trailers

"Trumbo" (Magnolia, 2007, PG-13, $26.98). Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo ("Spartacus," "Lonely Are the Brave") was blacklisted in the 1950s, but he fought back and stood up for his beliefs. This documentary about his remarkable life includes vintage interviews, new interviews and readings of his letters by a variety of movie/stage stars (the latter being excerpts from a play by Christopher Trumbo). Kirk Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Michael Douglas, Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy, and many others are on hand.

Extras: widescreen, deleted scenes (letters read by Danny Glover and Paul Giamatti), trailers