Stephens is ably assisted by a great supporting cast. Colin Blakely's energetic Dr. Watson; Irene Handl's exasperated Mrs Hudson, and Christopher Lee's imperious Mycroft Holmes. Lee's aristocratic baring is absolutely correct for the film, though he may have a little too much energy for Mycroft.
Robert Stephens is tremendous as Holmes, with his almost-cartoon voice, fading and rising; he brings a genuine warmth to Holmes, that is not always apparent in the character (or in Wilder's films). His interactions in the first of the three stories with the ballet dancer are brilliantly played.