Pettersen Marzoni

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Pettersen Barzo Marzoni (born April 6, 1886 in Pensacola, Florida; died July 5, 1939 in Jefferson County) was a film critic, newspaper columnist, and writer.

Marzoni attended the Pensacola Classical School and the Florida Agricultural College in Gainesville. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, but was dismissed for hazing in 1906. He left home for the western United States and worked as a drug store clerk in Great Falls, Montana in 1910. He was given a pardon by President Wilson in August 1916 and married Louise Glass, daughter of Birmingham News vice-president Frank Glass, in October.

Marzoni was commissioned as a Navy Reserve officer on April 9, 1917 and served as a Lieutenant during World War I. After the war he lived with his wife's family in Birmingham and began writing film reviews for his father-in-law's paper. As a sideline, Marzoni contributed stories to national publications including Black Mask, Liberty, Metropolitan, Good Housekeeping, and Weird Tales. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adapted his story "Big Hearted Jim" into a 1926 feature film, "Brotherly Love" starring Karl Dane, George K. Arthur and Jean Arthur. Marzoni also participated in editing slave narratives and other first-person accounts for publication.

Marzoni died from a ruptured appendix in 1939. He is buried at Elmwood Cemetery.

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