WhenthenavalconstructiondesignerOliverReed(KentSmith)meetstheSerbianIrenaDubrovnaReed(SimoneSimon)inthezoo,heflirtswithherandtheysoonerfallinloveandmarryeachother.However,Irenaisafraidofanancientcourseofhertownthatwomencannotbetouchedbyaman,otherwiseshewilltransforminapanther,andthecoupledoesnotconsummatetheirmarriage.IrenaissentfortreatmentwiththepsychiatristDr.LouisJudd(TomConway),whileOliverlooksfor"consolation"withhiscolleagueAliceMoore(JaneRandolph).WhenIrenaseesthatsheislosingOlivertoAlice,shebecomesjealousandhateful,leadingtoatragicend.