Whittier hires mountaineer Mike Walker to pose as a photographer and win Malden's confidence in order to gain access to the eggs.
Walker uses the opportunity to scale the mountain where the eggs lie, only to fall victim to his conscience when his goal is within his grasp.
Malden, Stella, and Adam are united at the end, while Walker provides a local reporter with a scoop about Whittier's illegal hobby.
At the time the film was made, the bald eagle was on the brink of extirpation in the continental United States.
[1] The film was shot on location in Asheville, Biltmore Estate, Chimney Rock State Park, and Lake Lure in North Carolina.