The 1979 film "Time After Time" is a science-fiction film about time travel. In 1893 British writer H. G. Wells shows some friends a time machine that he has built. One friend, Dr. Stevenson, is also notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper, and he uses the machine to flee the police to 1979 San Francisco. Wells uses his machine to pursue Stevenson to 1979 and meets Amy Robbins, a bank official. Early in the film Stevenson offers a gold sovereign to a prostitute, later, in 1979, he visits Amy's bank to exchange gold sovereigns for American money.

In 1893 London, a man offers a gold coin (a gold sovereign or one pound) to a prostitute.

He asks her to move to an alley where he produces a knife. After he leaves, a policeman discovers the woman's body. The killer is "Jack the Ripper", a notorious 1888 serial killer of prostitutes, who has apparently returned. At the nearby house of H. G. Wells (Herbert George Wells), Wells has some friends over. Dr. Stevenson arrives late and implies that he was treating a patient. Wells takes his friends to his basement to show them something.

Wells has built a time machine and he demonstrates how the controls work, in particular that it needs a key to run and also has an extra safety device.

Wells and Stevenson discuss the future, Wells expresses his belief that in three generations war and sickness will be abolished. Stevenson argues that people don't change and future men will be more violent. Scotland Yard (police) detectives arrive to question the residents and find Stevenson's medical bag with bloody instruments. Wells heads for the basement and finds his machine (and Stevenson) gone. The machine returns and Wells examines the controls to see where Stevenson sent himself. Wells then sends himself to the same time which is November 5, 1979. He finds himself in San Francisco and heads for a bank to exchange money.

Wells hands over his 1893 British currency notes and the clerk suggests that he would get more for them from a coin dealer due to their age. However, Wells exchanges the notes at the bank.

She likes "Herbert", thinks he is quaint, and offers to show him around San Francisco. She also tells him that another odd Englishman came to her bank to change old money, he asked her where to stay and she recommended a large hotel. Meanwhile, Jack is preparing for a night on the town. He has bought modern clothes but keeps his Victorian money belt.

Wells has gotten Stevenson's hotel from Amy and pays him a visit. Stevenson tells Wells that he likes the violent society and tells Wells "Eighty years ago I was a freak, here I'm an amateur."

A hotel maid enters and Wells pursues Stevenson through the hotel and outside. Herbert and Amy are falling in love and visit Muir Woods, north of San Francisco.

Meanwhile, Jack is on the prowl in the city's sex district.

The films at the theatre are "Deep Throat" and "Devil in Miss Jones", two popular porn films of the period. The next day at the bank, Amy has a visitor.

Stevenson wants to change a pile of gold coins which he calls "guineas", but would be British gold sovereigns or one pound coins.

A British gold sovereign of the Victorian period:

A sovereign is a British gold coin originally worth one pound (20 shillings). It is the same size and weight as a United States $5 gold coin, 1/4 troy ounce.

Amy tries to stall Stevenson but he tells her to tell Wells to give him the key or he will kill her. Amy later meets with Wells and tells him her visitor is dangerous and he should talk to the police.

Wells gives the detective Stevensons's name but doesn't mention time travel, and, of course, the police can not do anything. Stevenson later kidnaps Amy and brings her to the museum where the machine is. Wells follows them to the museum.

Wells gives Stevenson the key, Stevenson gets in the machine, and Wells pulls out the safety device, which sends Stevenson into the future without stopping.

Herbert convinces Amy to go back to his time and a final note states that he married Amy.

Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells (Herbert George Wells)
David Warner as Dr. Stevenson (Jack)
Mary Steenburgen as Amy Robbins
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Writers: Karl Alexander, Steve Hayes, Nicholas Meyer