George Clooney--Not Quite the Historian

I'm sure this will probably be mentioned in news stories tomorrow (although ABC news just showed a clip of the below quote, with no comment), but George Clooney's speech contained a pretty big gaffe.

While exalting Hollywood and its noble fight for liberal causes, George said "This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when Blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters."

What George failed to mention was that at the 1939 Oscar ceremony, Hattie McDaniel and her date were seated in the back of the theater. George, I would suggest you read "The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History" by Gail Kinn and Jim Piazza. Had you done so before the Awards, you would have had that bit of Oscar knowledge.