Cowboy James Franciscus seeks fame and fortune by capturing a Tyrannosaurus Rex living in the Forbidden Valley and putting it in a Mexican circus. His victim, called the Gwangi, turns out to have an aversion to being shown in public. Another film featuring the stop-action special effects talents of Ray Harryhausen.
Now the Montecito has been sold to inexperienced young widow-heiress Monica Mancuso, who had it thoroughly renovated, Ed who stayed on as general manager is worried about the top-secret reopening, especially after two recent hold-ups in Indian casinos, but Monica refuses any delay so he can work in new staff. Most old key personnel has left. Danny now heads his late dad's contracting company McCoy Construction, but accepts to return as Ed's right hand, and rehires Mike -who was parking valet- and Sam, whose clients were deserting her, only Ed's daughter refuses. The boys soon find proof the construction crews have been infiltrated as there are at least two officially dead men and computer chips have been planted to cause a blackout one minute after the grand reopening starts, far more sophisticated then in either Indian casino heist.
Set over the course of a single evening in the Reynolds family home in suburban Connecticut, Clara's Ghost tells the story of Clara Reynolds who, fed up with constant ribbing from her self-absorbed showbiz family, finds solace in and guidance from the supernatural force she believes is haunting her.