A Test of Friendship

Two of the workmen, Tom and Jim, whose fists are as hard as steel but whose hearts are of sterling worth, are in love with the same lady. Tom believes that Jim is the successful one and though hard hit, takes the blow like a man; but the supreme test of friendship comes when Jim, who has a quarrel with a truck driver on the top of a huge sky structure, is knocked unconscious and is hung out over the sidewalk twenty-two stories below. The slightest move one way or the other and he is dashed to death, and when Tom is called upon to save Jim's life at the risk of his own, it is a fest that proves the mettle of the man. There they swing in mid-air, Tom and Jim, clinging together at this dizzy height. A thriller, a supremely dramatic moment in the motion picture art. The rescue and the winning of the girl by Tom gives a sweet touch of human nature to the close of this exciting picture.

Directed by Bannister Merwin, A Test of Friendship leans on a strong ensemble — Richard Neill, Richard Ridgely — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1911.