 West German producer Artur Brauner originally conceived the film as the first of a German film series.The producers' contact with the Arthur Conan Doyle estate led to the estate vetoing their original schemes to set the film in the present day such as the Edgar Wallace German film series and have Dr. Watson played by German comedian Heinz Erhardt.Many scenes of the film had to be reshot due to the Doyle estate not approving the dailies.