For his directorial debut, Eastwood chose a small-scale drama that could be shot on location in and around his beloved Monterey on a modest budget, in between acting assignments for his final two films with director Don Siegel. Eastwood plays an egotistical disc jockey whose philandering leads him into a Fatal Attraction relationship with a too-devoted listener (Jessica Walter). Weaving together a story of romantic intrigue with his personal love for music, Eastwood created a low-key thriller as he balanced a creative environment for his actors (the film was shot in sequence, a rarity then as now) with the craftsmanship of studio production. Look for one of Eastwood’s mentors, director Siegel, in the role of a bartender in the opening sequence: he quickly exits this fictional role and, we may presume, his off-screen assistance with the production.