Thanks to George Lucas, Town Can Have Its Moos on the Hour

POINT REYES STATION, Calif. — Anybody can get a clock that chimes. But how many towns can boast one that moos, courtesy of “Star Wars” film maker George Lucas?

The bovine timepiece hangs on the wall of the fire station in this tiny community north of San Francisco, courtesy of an idea from local historian Jack Mason.

“The clock was . . . Mason’s idea, and when he passed away last January, the town wanted to get it up as soon as possible in his honor,” Western Saloon owner Judy Borello said.

The big problem: How to make it moo?

Well, first the town got a J. C. Whitney cattle-call bullhorn, which had to be operated manually.

Borello decided to ask Lucas, whose film empire has its headquarters nearby, for an automatic model.

“My husband thought I was nuts, and I think the lady I talked to over at Lucasfilm the first time did too,” she said.

Lucasfilm agreed to do the job at cost--about $375--and rigged up a system using taped cow sounds on looped cassette tapes.

Eventually, the clock will be able to play Christmas carols or make eerie noises at Halloween. It can also be used as a public address system.

But mooing to mark the hours will be the clock’s main job.

“If you’ve ever been around a barnyard, you know a cow really lets out a bellow,” said Lucasfilm employee Rick Brown, who headed the project. “I’m only wondering how long people are going to be able to stand it.”