I dispensed with the Common Anode Resistor in each display saving two Resistors
wouldnt having the resistor on the common anode cause you to get different brightness for different digits?
ie 8 would be dimmer than 1 as the current would be split between 7 segments to display 8, and only 2 segments to display 1.

i normally put the resistors in series with each segment, and use a transistor on the common pin