EDNOTE. Thanks to Carolyn for checking. There was
an earlier film version form before 1937 but VN doubtless knew the
original Anthohy Hope novel from the 1890s reinforced by one or more of the film
versions.
The Garland Companion does mention that Prisoner of
Zenda was among Nabokov's childhood favorites. The (excuse the
expression) doppelganger theme and the commoner-as-king theme are certainly
echoed in PF. It is a charming read, a sort of British Three
Musketeers, but the only possible reference I could find was Shade's
eggspoon which turns up in the first paragraph of Zenda.
The 1937
film is a charming tour de force for its star, Ronald Colman, but is otherwise
undistinguished. There was a remake in 1952 with Deborah Kerr & Stewart
Granger, which I haven't seen.
Carolyn
p.s. Duck Soup?! I
guess perhaps the revolution in Fredonia -- but that is a stretch.