Halfway through the speech Charlie’s throat gets dry & begins to crack (probably from nerves) and he pauses and asks for water. In his autobiography, Charlie recalled that a glass could not be found, so water was brought to him in an envelope.*
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| Charlie & Mickey Rooney talk to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt at the inaugural gala which was held the evening before the swearing-in ceremony (which Charlie also attended). |
*I'll point out that contemporary articles about this event (as well as the announcer in the clip) say that Charlie was brought a "glass" of water.