Cahiers du cinéma n°122 - August 1961

This issue of Cahiers du Cinéma features an in-depth interview with director Edgar G. Ulmer, conducted by Luc Moullet and Bertrand Tavernier, where he discusses his experiences with directors like Murnau and his views on filmmaking, including improvisation and collaboration. There is a long article by Jacques Joly which discusses the theme of the historical films by directors such as Walsh and Hawks and how they create meaning through mise en scene and performance, and also a comparison of cinematic and visual elements in different films and directors. A substantial piece by Jacques Mourgeon focuses on the nature of television and its differences from film and other forms, its use of signs, and how it can be a form of "reading", where the direct and the indirect mix, and his vision for its future. Finally, the magazine includes a retrospective of the work of Max Ophuls, with the fourth part of his memoirs where he discusses his start as a filmmaker in Berlin and his opinions on the importance of dialogue in cinema. The film reviews discuss releases like “The Diabolical Doctor Mabuse”, “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning”, “Where Is Freedom”, and “The Giant of Thessaly”.