The most famous bar of this kind may be the one in Kenneth Fearing's
The Big Clock, where customers come in to stump the barkeep -- who
never fails to produce the outre object requested.  The book, btw, is
based on Fearing's experiences working for Time magazine; the hero,
played by Ray Milland in the movie, is a reporter for "Crimeways" who
works for the publisher -- played by Charles Laughton -- a psychotic
Henry Luce type, if that is not a redundant statement.  Milland
inadvertantly gets involved with the publisher's girlfriend, who gets
killed, by the publisher, of course.  The hero, who was seen at the
scene, is put on the case by the publisher to, in effect, find himself.
If this plot sounds familiar it is because it was remade -- set in the
Pentagon this time -- as No Way Out a few years ago with Kevin Costner,
Gene Hackman, and Sean Young.  No neat bars in the remake that I can
recall but the lovers do have a special weekend at the Robert Morris Inn
on the eastern shore of Maryland.
 
On Mon, 25 Jul 1994 15:03:09 -0500, Terry Vidal wrote:
 
>As long as we're bringing up some of this fun stuff, I need to mention my
>favorite bar.  Located in Missoula, MT., the 'Rhino' has a number of oddities
>appropriate to this important thread ;-D.  A plaster (fake taxidermy) black
>rhino is crashing through the west wall of the establishment, pushing aside
>bricks and mortar, getting stuck at the shoulder.  Of course, no evidence of
>it's behind can be seen in the alleyway whence the charge began.  However,
>mounted on the wall, not far from the horn of the rhino's snout, is the
>taxidermied behind of a white-tail deer, in its' distress pose.  Interestingly,
>after a long night of jubulation, without a doubt, one will see that behind
>sporting an empty bottle of ale or lager.  Of course the next day, neither hide
>nor _hare_ of said bottle will be found.  Think of the implications!
>
>Actually, the quaint bars of the world are in effect museums of their own sort.
>With intriguing objects making up the decor, these bars are sites where
>the free exchange of diverse ideas are found and offered.  Staffed by
>professionals, open all hours to the public, with consumable and permanent
>collections, and I'll conjecture that many of these bars barely turn a profit,
>it seems that certain definitions become ambigious.  The best thing is, no
>labels to read!  :-)
>
>T.Q. Vidal
>
>CHEERS