Sherlock Holmes is a fictional creation of Doctor Watson who serves as the central character in a series of short stories published in ''The Strand Magazine''. Watson uses the character to enable him to solve crimes incognito, so as not to disrupt his career as a doctor. He therefore decides to satisfy public demand to see Holmes in person by hiring unemployed actor Reginald Kincaid to play the part of the hero of his detective stories. Kincaid must rely on direction from Watson, memorizing the doctor's exacting, detailed instructions every step of the way.