Remembering entertainer Ray Jarvis

By Jerry Fink

Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 | 6:31 p.m.

Tropicana east of Maryland was a dirt road in the early '60s when the Red Barn, a former antique store, became a bar.

Entertainer Ray Jarvis -- at the time a principal in “Folies Bergère” -- discovered the struggling tavern one night and asked the owner if he could stop by with a few friends.

“The next night 100 show kids showed up,” says Jarvis’ longtime companion, Jerry Ritholz-Jarvis. “Ray ran behind the bar and started mixing drinks and everyone had such a great time the place became an institution.”

The legendary watering hole closed in 1988.

Its popularity may have been a testament to the personality of Jarvis, who died of cancer July 15 at the age of 74.

“Ray made everyone around him feel good,” Ritholz says. “Wherever Ray was, people would just flock. He was an amazing person. Everyone in show business knew him.”

Jarvis is best known locally for his five years with “Folies Bergère.”

Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, as a child he was a champion baton twirler. He became an entertainer while in his teens, performing as a trapeze artist with the Garden Brothers Circus and on Vaudeville.

At 16 he owned a dance school and eventually became a singer, performing in production shows and nightclubs.

The Ray Jarvis Trio performed regularly on Shirley Harmer’s TV show in Canada.

Over the years, Ray appeared on Broadway in the chorus of “My Fair Lady,” “Pajama Game” and “Can Can.”

He also performed at places such as the famed Latin Quarter in New York, appearing with such stars as Robert Goulet, Jimmy Durante, Shirley Bassey, Josephine Baker, Dorothy Lamour and Kaye Ballard.

Two of his closest friends were Betty Grable and Liberace.

“He performed with Liberace at the Latin Quarter,” Ritholz says. “After a show they would go to Lee’s apartment and cook spaghetti till 2 in the morning.”

In the late 1950s Jarvis moved to Las Vegas where he performed in “Minsky’s Follies” at the Dunes and George Arnold’s “Ecstasy On Ice” at the Thunderbird.

He was involved with the Beaux Arts Ball from its beginning in the '60s. The costume party, a charitable event that raises money for Golden Rainbow, is considered one of the best in the country.

Ritholz and Jarvis first met in Chicago in 1958. Ritholz, a native of the city, was a highly acclaimed set designer.

It was at a performance of Cole Porter’s “Out of this World” at the Chicago Music Theater in Highland Park. Ritholz was the set designer. Jarvis dropped in to see the show’s star, Kaye Ballard, whom he knew from New York. “Carol Lawrence was also in the cast,” Ritholz says.

They didn’t see each other again until 1976 when they accidentally met on a cruise ship.

“I was on the ship with my mother and Ray was the cruise director,” Ritholz says. “We hit it off right away.”

Ritholz owned Mixed Media, a Chicago-based company that produced posters.

Jarvis, tired of working on cruise ships, joined Ritholz in Chicago and joined the company, which has since been sold.

In 1983 the couple moved to Las Vegas.

They became involved in many local projects, including Golden Rainbow, and were active in the local entertainment scene and spent a lot of time

traveling.

Jarvis was stricken with cancer 14 years ago.

“Ray was a personality here in town, all the kids in the shows loved him,” Ritholz says. “He worked with so many kids. Everybody knew Ray.”