Mary Pickford documentary among vintage titles on DVD

"Meatballs" (Lionsgate/Blu-ray, 1979, PG, $14.99, widescreen, audio commentary, trailers). This summer-camp comedy is a run-of-the-mill farce basically adapted to the "Animal House" template, but what keeps it afloat is Bill Murray in his first starring role (while he was still on "Saturday Night Live"). He's frequently funny though the film itself is less so, but Murray's signature sardonic wise-guy character is already in full bloom.

"The Journey" (Warner Archive, 1959, $17.95, widescreen, trailer, available at www.WarnerArchive.com). Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr are reunited (after "The King and I") in this melodrama about Westerners fleeing Budapest during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Fine performances help, including Jason Robards (in his first film), Robert Morley, E.G. Marshall, Anne Jackson, Anouk Aimee and young Ronny Howard.

"Back From Eternity" (Warner Archive, 1956, b/w, $17.95, widescreen, available at www.WarnerArchive.com). Entertaining, soapy yarn about a plane's forced landing deep in a South American rainforest, where the passengers confront headhunters. Robert Ryan is the pilot, Rod Steiger a convicted killer, Anita Ekberg a call girl, with Gene Barry, Phyllis Kirk, Fred Clark, Beulah Bondi and, in her film debut, Barbara Eden.

EMAIL: hicks@desnews.com