Editing David Niven (section)

====1938–1939: Leading man====
[[File:Errol Flynn and David Niven in The Dawn Patrol (1938 film) 02.png|right|thumb|With Errol Flynn in ''[[The Dawn Patrol (1938 film)|The Dawn Patrol]]'' (1938)]]
Fox Studios gave him the lead in a B picture, ''[[Dinner at the Ritz]]'' (1938) and he again had a supporting role in ''[[Bluebeard's Eighth Wife]]'' (1938) directed by [[Ernst Lubitsch]] at Paramount. Niven was one of the four heroes in [[John Ford]]'s ''[[Four Men and a Prayer]]'' (1938), also with Fox. He remained with Fox to play the part of a fake love interest in ''[[Three Blind Mice (1938 film)|Three Blind Mice]]'' (1938). Niven joined what became known as the Hollywood Raj, a group of British actors in Hollywood which included [[Gladys Cooper]], [[Cedric Hardwicke]], [[Boris Karloff]], [[Stan Laurel]], [[Basil Rathbone]], [[Ronald Colman]], [[Leslie Howard]],<ref>Eforgan, E. (2010) ''Leslie Howard: The Lost Actor.'' London: [[Vallentine Mitchell]]; p. 94 {{ISBN|978-0-85303-971-6}}</ref> and [[C. Aubrey Smith]]. 

Niven graduated to star parts in "A" films with ''[[The Dawn Patrol (1938 film)|The Dawn Patrol]]'' (1938) remake at Warners; although he was billed below Flynn and Rathbone, it was a leading role and the film did excellent business. Niven was reluctant to take part in ''[[Wuthering Heights (1939 film)|Wuthering Heights]]'' (1939) for Goldwyn, but eventually relented and the film was a big success. RKO borrowed him to play [[Ginger Rogers]]'s leading man in the romantic comedy ''[[Bachelor Mother]]'' (1939), which was another big hit. Goldwyn used him to support [[Gary Cooper]] in the adventure tale ''[[The Real Glory]]'' (1939), and [[Walter Wanger]] cast him opposite [[Loretta Young]] in ''[[Eternally Yours (film)|Eternally Yours]]'' (1939). Finally, Goldwyn granted Niven a lead part in a major film, the title role as the eponymous gentleman safecracker in ''[[Raffles (1939 film)|Raffles]]'' (1939).