Anecdotes

Irene Adler (Charlotte Rampling) and Sherlock Holmes (Sir Roger Moore) recall a "Night in Montenegro". It was speculated by many, including noted Sherlock Holmes scholar W.S. Baring-Gould, who did not originate the idea however, that novelist Rex Stout's sleuth Nero Wolfe, who was born in Montenegro, was the son of Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes.

John Huston was cast as Professor Moriarty after Oliver Reed passed on the role.

In his memoirs, Sir Roger Moore mentions that he called up Oliver Reed and offered him the role of Moriarty. Reed turned the role down, because many years earlier Moore had made a critical remark concerning Reed's acting ability.

Gig Young was originally cast by director Boris Sagal as Inspector Lafferty, the part ultimately played by David Huddleston, but was switched to the part of banker Mortimer McGrew.

Patrick Macnee played Dr. Watson opposite Sir Christopher Lee as Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady" (1991) and "Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls" (1992).