Life After Death

Press and preview audiences looking for laughs in Paramount’s Christmas comedies “Scrooged” and “The Naked Gun” have been getting a jolt--the sudden presence in both pictures of John Houseman, who died Oct. 31.

In “Scrooged,” Houseman is cast as a host of a live-television presentation of the Dickens’ Christmas classic. “Naked Gun” features a cameo by Houseman as a driving school instructor whose car gets involved in a chase scene. (“Scrooged” also has an appearance by “Throw Momma From the Train’s” Momma Ann Ramsey, who died Aug. 31.)

A Paramount rep conceded that audiences initially appear surprised by Houseman’s inclusion in the two films.

“There’s no way Houseman could be edited from the pictures,” explained the rep. “It just proves that when it comes to movies and actors, nobody ever dies.”