The highlights of Clint Eastwood's career behind the camera involve exploring or undermining his iconic presence in front of it. It's a practice that dates back to this directorial debut, in which fledgling auteur allows established movie star to be unsympathetic, selfish and in the words of the title song as helpless as a kitten up a tree.
Clint's smooth, late-night D.J. is powerless in the face of Jessica Walter's stalker, as she sets out to turn their one night stand into a lasting, meaningful relationship.
When her target's commitment phobia kicks in, the scorned woman takes to suicide bids, and murders attempted and successful all preceded by Walter's bloodcurdling screams.