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Tracy plays host to an indie flick following the footsteps of Hollywood heist classics

Arlene Prescott (second from left), Jesse Scaffidi and Tracy’s Don Bisbee run through a scene for the movie “Bamboozle” as Nick Gustafson mans the camera in the old Ludwig’s Bar in downtown Tracy. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

In what has been described by director Nick Gustafson as a cross between “The Departed” and “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Bamboozle” plans to “totally catch the audience off guard.”

And part of the new film is being shot in Tracy.

One of the key scenes takes place inside what used to be Ludwig’s Bar, 31 E. Sixth St., in downtown Tracy.

Don Bisbee, who has acted in 65 films and was a Tracy High drama teacher for 30 years, is overseeing the production and stars in one of the film’s lead roles.

“It’s an independent film with many Tracyites involved,” Bisbee said. “We got a great bargain on the first location of filming by renting out the old bar for $1 a month.”

The movie is set in an unnamed small town and involves an intricate plot about a museum security guard, Jerry, played by Bisbee, who plans a heist to lift a priceless antique from the museum’s collection. The heist goes bad when one of Jerry’s cohorts turns out to be an undercover cop, and the end is a mystery — left to be seen when the movie comes out in early 2009.

It’s a “first” for many of the movie’s actors, including Jay Ran, who plays the undercover-cop role of Will in the film.

“It’s cool and is an awesome experience,” he said during filming last week.

Arlene Prescott plays the role of Stacey, an attractive brunette who seduces and drugs Jerry to get information surrounding the heist. 

“I think both the movie and I will surprise people,” Prescott said. “It has been a lot of fun so far.”
Fun, but hectic, according to Gustafson.

“The first shooting was kind of a disaster,” he said. “We were dealing with the commotion of a bunch of extras, and one of my lead actors wasn’t exactly prepared, but after looking at the footage, everything seemed to come out OK.”

Gustafson competed in Modesto Junior College’s 2006 Celebration of the Humanities student fine arts competition and won second place for his short film, “Bullet Effect.” He plans to enter “Bamboozle” into film festivals across the nation.

Shooting will resume in Modesto sometime in the near future.

• In the Spotlight is a weekly feature on the people and things that make Tracy and Mountain House unique. This week’s interviewer was Aaron Rognstad. To suggest people for future spotlights, call him at 830-4221 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it