MONSTER FOOTAGE

For decades, legend has persisted about “lost footage” from “Frankenstein”--scenes never shown because they were considered too shocking in 1931 when the classic was released. But we were tipped that those scenes are lost no more.

Confirmation took umpteen calls to Universal Pictures (“parent” of “Frankenstein”), where rumors of the old footage are old news (“Not another call about that stuff,” moaned an employee). Finally, a research department spokesman admitted breathlessly: “Yes, indeed, those scenes have been located!”

In fact, the film is being restored--possibly for pay-TV airings and a new videocassette. Among the scenes we’ll see: the Monster tossing the little girl into the lake (reportedly cut at Boris Karloff’s request); scientist Colin Clive’s exclamation as his creation comes to life, “In the name of God, now I know how it feels to be God!”; the hypodermic needle as it’s injected into the Monster, and the torch shoved into the creature’s face.