(I should probably have phrased that as "one of the leading studios" because "major" is a loaded term in film history and tends to refer to the MGMs. My point is that Norman was an important purveyor of genre entertainment vs Oscar Micheaux's highly personal and politically loaded films)
Nowadays at least the DCPs seen in the small venues are the same quality as those in the big cities. I remember having to wait months for movies to make it to Scotland after they opened in London and the prints were scratched and even faded by the time we got them.
Same in N Wales. My dad managed a cinema there back in the 60s, long before I was born, and told me it could be six months or more before some films made it there.
Love this thread, love learning about the deeper history of film. Makes me want to search out more and more of the silent era. Thanks for everything you do!