Raoul Reginald DeVeulle (1882 - 1956) has a deserved footnote in history as a protagonist in one of the first 'dope scandals' of the 20th century. His short career on the stage was as more than a dilettante, he lasted 12 months of twice daily performance of 'The Queen of the Moulin Rouge' the second 6 of which were in Chicago in 1909.
We know also that he was apt to make an impression on those who met him. At least one of whom has left us a written record. There is an unflattering portrait by Roy Horniman in 'The Magnificent Bellamy' in which Reggie becomes - or is reflected as - a craven shallow and unmanly creature.
Reggie also spent time with the American writer Elizabeth Banks who, for a period, was a London neighbour of no less a literary giant than George Bernard Shaw. Shaw was of course a prodigious writer of letters. His collected correspondence fills several volumes. His genius is still celebrated by a number of Shavian societies. I cannot imagine 2 characters who were less likely to cross paths than George and Reggie.
But if George Bernard Shaw did not actually meet Reggie DeVeulle he had at least heard enough about him to use him as part of an extremely unflattering comparison.
In September 1921 Shaw wrote to the British writer and playwright St John Ervine. In correspondence about Shaws recently published play 'Back to Methuselah' Shaw described how he tried to imagine a life as long as that of Methuselah:
"...by carrying a little further the difference that exists at present between the child and the adult, or between Reggie de Veulle (or whatever his silly name is) and Einstein"
It is fanciful to imagine that they did meet. It is much more probable that Shaw had set on Reggie as the epitome of idiocy from the court reports. However, the trial had been more than 2 years previously. Why would he jump to mind? Did perhaps Reggie inspire George Bernard Shaw to imbue one of his less respectable characters with his traits? Or perhaps Ervine?
After further research I am disabused of the idea that a character like Reggie would have been of any interest to Shaw. In his set of articles published as 'Impressions of my Elders' by St John Ervine (1922) the writer categorises Shaw as a playwright interested in doctrine for whom a cast of characters was unnecessary "I doubt whether there are more than 12 distinct persons in the whole of Mr. Shaw's work". So perhaps, for this purpose at least, the old copy of the complete plays of Shaw can remain on my bookshelf.
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