The Magic of the Theater by David Black
Chapter Five: Christopher Walken and Madeline Kahn
When Madeline Kahn appeared as a guest in our series, she was starring on Broadway in a revival of Garson Kanin's "Born Yesterday." Her partner for our evening was Christopher Walken, who had just finished a run playing Coriolanus at Joe Papp's Public Theater. Madeline wore an elegant, short black evening dress (she was due at a formal dinner after our session) and Christopher wore a dark suit and black sport shirt. His buoyant charm gave no trace of the sinister psychopathic qualities he's diplayed in such films as "Annie Hall," "King of New York," and "Batman Returns." As Madeline and Christopher walked out onstage, they were greeted with generous applause.