The Duke would have been 100 years old May 26, and his centennial is being honored the modern way — with multiple DVD releases.

Out this week are "John Wayne Collection, Vol. 1" and "John Wayne Collection Vol. 2" (Republic/Lions Gate). They not only provide a good representation of Wayne's midperiod films, they are also the bargain of the year — each contains four films for $24.95 retail.

"Vol. 1" is distinguished by John Ford's "The Quiet Man," the classic drama in which boxer Wayne goes to Ireland in search of his roots and discovers love (with gorgeous lass Maureen O'Hara) and an entirely different way of life. This is the remastered version that was released in 2004, for the same price as this entire box. The set includes two good war dramas, too, with Wayne whipping volunteer pilots into shape in 1942's "Flying Tigers," and giving his first Oscar-nominated performance as a tough Marine sergeant in 1949's "Sands of Iwo Jima." There's also 1949's "The Wake of the Red Witch," an entertaining high-seas adventure co-starring the all-but-forgotten Gail Russell.

"Vol. 2" is worth the price of admission for 1950's "Rio Grande," the final film in John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy" that began with "Fort Apache" and continued with "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." (Those films are available individually, or in Warner's must-own "John Wayne/John Ford" Film Collection.") It's made even more attractive, though with 1943's "A Lady Takes a Chance," a comedy in which the great Jean Arthur takes a chance on rodeo rider Wayne, and 1949's "The Fighting Kentuckian," with Wayne trying to protect the frontier from land barons. The runt of this litter is the 1945 film "Dakota," a routine cowboy movie that limps along for 85 minutes.

Just to complicate things, Republic/Lions Gate issued a series of Wayne "Double Features"; most pair titles that are in the box sets with films that are not: So if you wanted 1940's "Dark Command," a Western directed by Raoul Walsh and featuring an all-star cast that includes Claire Trevor, Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes and Walter Pidgeon as the bad guy, you'd have to take "A Lady Takes a Chance" with it.

And if your own favorite Wayne film is unavailable, be patient. Warner is releasing another box set May 22, while Paramount has compiled no less than three multi disc collections, and will issue a new Collector's Edition of "True Grit" on the same day.

ALSO NEW

It's hardly a trade secret that the studio saves its best, most intelligent dramas for the holiday season, in hopes their box-office chances will be improved by Oscar and other award nominations. But the uncommonly fine abundance of films released at the end of 2006 meant that too many were overlooked by the Academy and the public.

One of the most egregious victims was John Curran's lush, lovely adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's "The Painted Veil." Something of a labor of love for producer Edward Norton, it's the story of a 1920s upper-class woman (Naomi Watts) who, after being married off to a doctor (Norton) she finds a bore and a prig, has an affair with a dashing married man (Liev Schreiber). When her adultery is discovered, her husband gives her a choice: a scandalous divorce, or she can accompany him to China, where he hopes to solve the mystery of a cholera outbreak and treat the afflicted. It's a beautiful film in every sense of the word, superbly acted, emotionally affecting and gorgeous to behold.

"Deliver Us From Evil" (Lions Gate) was nominated for best- documentary Oscar, but the win of Hollywood-approved "An Inconvenient Truth" was predetermined. Worse, this film addresses an important but inconvenient truth few people want to examine at a night at the movies. It's about the lifelong damage inflicted by one Roman Catholic priest/pedophile, Oliver O'Grady, who is interviewed, along with his victims, in Amy Berg's indictment of a Catholic Church compliant in his crimes. The movie is hard to watch, and hard to turn away from. You know you need to know.