Parental Alert - Kid-Friendly Classic Movies

If you're tired of the barely disguised commercials that pass for children's movies these days, maybe it's time to try some classics. The great thing about really good old movies for children is that they usually won't put you to sleep, either, and you can prepare your kids for watching quality old movies as adults.

I hope that's the spirit behind a new series on TCM -- the rather lamely titled "Funday Night at the Movies" starring the guy who does the voice for SpongeBob. (That alone will give you some street cred with the young 'uns.)

The series airs through August, and there's a couple of choice picks in the lineup for May: The Wizard of Oz and Bringing Up Baby. The allure of Oz for children is obvious -- and as for Baby, what kid doesn't want to see silly grownups singing to escaped leopards and knocking over a fully constructed dinosaur skeleton?

There's one movie in the lineup I don't quite get as a kid's flick - The Awful Truth. Yes, it's a great screwball comedy with a dog who does tricks -- but it's about a divorce.

Well, I'll just leave it in SpongeBob's capable hands. Does a sponge even have hands?

Bringing Up Baby DVD Cover - Turner Classic Movies