"We were on one film set and I remember Warren Beatty was in a towelling dressing gown and he gazed over at my younger sister -- who looked older than she was -- and said: `She looks promising, who's she?'"
After her father's death, Paul kept the shop going as the cornerstone of the prop industry, with directors flying in from Hollywood just to secure the perfect addition to any set.
She particularly remembers a visit by set designer Peter Young, who heard he had won an Oscar for his work on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as they drank tea in the shop.
"We rushed to get the papers, and some champagne so we could celebrate. He'd often pop in and have tea with us," she said.
Young is one of many who will miss the shop. "The closure of the Ken Paul props company will be a great loss to the film industry. It has been invaluable over the years, its huge mix of objects, from the Oriental and African rooms to the arms, armour and medieval room ... has saved time and effort on many a tight filming schedule," he said.
But for Chris Paul, even after her props have found a new home, she will still be able to keep an eye on them.
RSS