- Architect's life is plagued by his ex-wife, a master manipulator, whose constant clawing is about to drive off his new love, and his clientèle. As a hobby, he enjoys training a rare harpy eagle, with a Native-American pal, who empathizes with his plight, and a plan of action coalesces.—David Stevens
- Architect Peter Clune (Hugh O'Brian) is also a falconer training a Harpy Eagle for hunting, along with his Native American ranch hand John (Tom Nardini). In the opening sequence, Clune's manipulative ex-wife Marian (Elizabeth Ashley) makes a surprise appearance, distracting Clune as the bird is flying to his fist and the eagle hits Clune in the leg, injuring him. Clune angrily sends Marian away.
While dressing his leg wound, Clune offers to trade a horse for John's illegal switchblade, and it is revealed that John is staying with Clune while on probation for an unnamed offense. Clune explains that he needs to meet with a potential client (Mark Miller) at his office to make a pitch for a city project design. When Clune arrives at his office, his secretary/fiancee Allison (Marlyn Mason) meets him and asks about his injury and learns that Marian has returned, wanting to reconcile with Clune. The office scene also reveals Clune's interest in harmonizing his city design with conserving the natural beauty of the proposed project site.
That night, observing from his room next to the hawk house, John sees Marian returning to the house, and it occurs to him in this scene to train the eagle to attack Marian using a pile of straw which resembles hair.
The next day while on a building site, Allison and Clune discuss Marian and Clune explains that she came back but that he asked her to leave again. Allison says that she called the house and Marian was still there.
On arriving at the house, Clune sees Marian's car crashed against a boulder with a broken spindle. John rides up on a horse and explains that she had been speeding down the driveway, crashed the car and was back at the house.
Clune enters the house and is informed that it would be a few days before a mechanic would be able to fix her car. In the meantime, Marian is staying in a guest room in the house, a situation which results in some tension between Clune, his fiancée and John. Later, while John is making a sandwich in the kitchen, Marian approaches him and apparently seduces him. That night a sleepless Clune hears Marian crying and, entering her room, is told that John has "attacked" her and will notify authorities. Clune says he doesn't believe her and Marian accuses him of being irresponsible toward John.
The next day Clune confronts John about the accusation that Marian has made and John says that whatever happened, he believes Clune will back him up unconditionally. When Clune presses him for an explanation, John pulls his switchblade on Clune and a fight ensues. John is later seen packing his bag, and leaving his knife and hawk house keys on his dresser for Clune to find.
John goes to Clune's office and finds Allison still working, and explains that he is leaving if Clune will be going back with his ex-wife. Clune calls the office and learns that John is there and will be meeting them there shortly. Clune invites John to return home and they all part agreeing to trust each other more.
The next day we see Clune on horseback in the field with the eagle and a wolf mock up which is being used to train the eagle to pursue a wolf. As the horse is sent down a slope with the wolf "lure" trailing behind, Clune releases the eagle, which flies in the direction of the wolf lure, which soon breaks up on large rocks. Meanwhile a real wolf is seen running, which John has flushed from its den. A chase ensues and the eagle catches and kills the wolf. This is when Clune sees that John has returned and together, they return to the house with the wolf on horseback. John asks for Clune's keys to the hawk house, and Clune learns that John has left them on his dresser, but Clune did not find them. Marian then calls to Clune that his client Hummel Graves is on the phone.
Clune finds out while talking to the client, a friend of Marian's father, that Mr. Graves has the impression that Clune and Marian are reconciling and is delighted. Clune has to correct him and states that he is marrying his secretary and that if he is awarded the contract it will have to be on his merit as an architect. After hanging up, Clune informs Marian that he got the job despite her meddling attempt. While Clune is taking a shower, Marian retrieves the switchblade and John's keys to the hawk house from a drawer in her room, makes her way to the hawk house and begins systematically attacking Clune's four other birds with the knife. The birds' screams alerts Clune and when he enters the hawk house, finds the birds hanging off their screen perch and John clutching Marian, the knife on the ground. When Marian complains that John is hurting her, Clune orders him to let her go. The Harpy has not been injured.
Clune and Allison are seen in his office discussing plans for getting John more birds and celebrating their impending marriage. Clune mentions that Marian is finally leaving. When Clune returns to the house, he and John arrange to fly the eagle when Marian pulls up in her car to say goodbye. Marian cajoles Clune into a short ride on horseback while Clune instructs John to wait for him on the bluff with the eagle. As Clune and Marian ride on, they come to a stream, across which is seen a picnic basket waiting for them, put there by Marian. Marian rides toward the basket and goads a reluctant Clune into joining her. They kiss and this is seen by John who is watching from the bluff. He releases the eagle while Clune informs Marian he has no feeling for her and tells her to go home. Marian then threatens to annul their Mexican divorce and tie him up in court until he agrees to reconcile with her. As she rides off in a huff, Clune notices the eagle and begins to fear for Marian, who by now is driving off in her convertible with her hair flying in the wind. Clune catches up with the eagle perched in a dead tree and tries frantically to call it down. The eagle keeps looking in the direction of the departing Marian and finally gives chase, with Clune running after the eagle, yelling. The eagle closes on Marian as she's driving and we hear a crash. As Clune arrives on the scene, the eagle is standing on Marian who has been thrown from the burning wreck of her car. The last scene shows the eagle in the foreground, and behind the flames from the car, a stunned Clune.
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