John Ferguson (James Stewart), known as Scottie, is a cop who has problems with vertigo and getting over the loss of his partner when he falls from a building while in pursuit of a criminal. He takes some time off of his duties until an old friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) asks him to follow his wife Madeleine (Kim Novak) as a private detective. Strange things begin to happen with Madeleine and Scottie as he follows her and she begins to act as though she is possessed by the spirit of a long dead woman. Eventually Madeleine ends up jumping from the bell tower at Mission San Juan Bautista, and Scottie is deeply shaken as he has fallen for her during his time following her. Elster takes off to Europe to cope with the loss of his wife and Scottie descends into madness, but eventually shakes it and begins to try to relive his time with Madeleine. Later he meets a woman named Judy Barton (again Kim Novak) that has a striking resemblance to Madeleine, and as he tries to remake her into Madeleine strange things come to light.