(Kansas City, Missouri) - Not everybody was keen on the idea of Father's Day when a Washington state woman, Sonora Smart Dodd, began campaigning for an equivalent to Mother's Day in the early 1900s. Some saw it as mushy and unmanly. Others deemed it a commercial grab.

But it caught on and finally became a federal holiday—celebrated the third Sunday in June—in 1972.

In observance, the Library offers four films this month that offer a lighthearted look at fatherhood. The Saturday screenings, all at 1:30 p.m., are in the Stanley H. Durwood Film Vault at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

The FatherFest series lineup:

  •  June 6: National Lampoon's Vacation (1983; R). Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, and Randy Quaid. Harold Ramis directed.
  •  June 13: 3 Men and a Baby (1987; PG). With Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson. Directed by Leonard Nimoy.
  •  June 20: Father of the Bride (1991; PG). With Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, and Martin Short. Directed by Charles Shyer.
  •  June 27: Mrs. Doubtfire (1983; PG-13). Starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, and Pierce Brosnan. Chris Columbus directed.

Admission is free. Free parking is available in the Library District parking garage at 10th and Baltimore.