Question: What was the name of the film directed prior to The Gentle Sex?

Context paragraphs:
Sex &amp; Philosophy: Sex & Philosophy (Original title: Sex O Phalsapheh) is a 2005 French-Iranian-Tajik film directed, written and produced by Mohsen Makhmalbaf.  Starring Daler Nazarov, Mariam Gaibova, and Farzona Beknazarova, the film is set in Tajikistan.  "Sex & Philosophy" premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival in September 2005.  It saw a theatrical release in South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Singapore and Russia.  "Sex & Philosophy" was Tajikistan's official selection for the 78th Academy Awards but it was disqualified because English subtitles were not added to the film in the time allowed by the Academy.

A Gentle Woman: A Gentle Woman (French: Une femme douce ) is a 1969 French drama film directed by Robert Bresson.  It is Bresson's first film in color, and adapted from Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story "A Gentle Creature" (Кроткая ).  The film is set in contemporary Paris.

Gay Man's Guide to Safer Sex: Gay Man's Guide To Safer Sex is the name of a safer sex instructional documentary produced by Mike Esser and Tony Carne of Pride Video in association with the Terrence Higgins Trust in 1992.  The film was directed by David Lewis and featured a soundtrack by John Balance and Peter Christopherson of Coil.  The medical information included in the film is presented by Mike Youle, a British doctor specialising in HIV treatment.  In 1997 a sequel was released directed by Robert Falconer.  "Gay Man's Guide To Safer Sex '97" featured a radical recut of some of the original scenes asking the BBFC to look again at what was permissible and becoming one of the very first programmes to discuss the breakthrough of Triple Combination Therapy and the ramifications and personal experiences of living with HIV.  The medical information and discussion was again led by Mike Youle.  The 1997 film was released on retail video in the UK and USA and later on DVD.  It is still in distribution on DVD.

Stella F. Simon: Stella F. Simon (Stella Furchgott, February 8, 1878 – March 15, 1973) was an American photographer, director and cinematographer who worked in both Germany and the United States.  In 1928, she finished her only film, "Hands: The Life and Love of a Gentle Sex, "which is an avant-garde feminist film with imagery drawn from Europe and North America.

Leslie Howard (actor): Leslie Howard (born Leslie Howard Steiner, 3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English stage and film actor, director and producer.  Howard also wrote many stories and articles for "The New York Times", "The New Yorker" and "Vanity Fair".  Howard was one of the biggest box-office draws and movie idols of the 1930s but is probably best remembered for playing Ashley Wilkes in "Gone with the Wind" (1939).  Howard had movie roles in many other notable films, including: "Berkeley Square" (1933), "Of Human Bondage" (1934), "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (1934), "The Petrified Forest" (1936), "Pygmalion" (1938), "Intermezzo" (1939), ""Pimpernel" Smith" (1941) and "The First of the Few" (1942), receiving two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Sex and Zen II: Sex and Zen II (, "The Carnal Prayer Mat II - Jade Maiden Heart Sutra") is a 1996 Hong Kong erotic comedy film directed by Chin Man Kei.  The film is a sequel to "Sex and Zen" (1991), and it was followed by "Sex and Zen III" (1998).

Sex (film): Sex is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Fred Niblo, written by C. Gardner Sullivan, produced by J. Parker Read, and starring Louise Glaum.  On its surface, the film was a morality story on the evils of marital infidelity.  However, the film's producer, J. Parker Read, had made a series of pictures on sex themes.  The release of "Sex", with its provocative title and explicit scenes of seduction and debauchery, made it the subject of controversy among censors and commentators.

The Gentle Sex: The Gentle Sex is a 1943 British, black-and-white romantic comedy-drama war film directed and narrated by Leslie Howard.  It was produced by Concanen Productions, Two Cities Films and Derrick de Marney.  "The Gentle Sex" was Howard's last film before his death.

A Gentle Creature (film): A Gentle Creature is a 2017 drama film directed by Sergei Loznitsa.  Film was created as a co-produciton of France, Germany, Netherlands and Lituania.  It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.  The film is inspired by the short story of the same name by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Sex with a Smile II: Sex with a Smile II (originally titled Spogliamoci così, senza pudor) is a 1976 "commedia sexy all'italiana" film directed by Sergio Martino.  Like its predecessor, "Sex with a Smile", it is an anthology sex comedy film with a series of four comedic sketches that parody Italian sexual mores.

Supporting paragraphs: The Gentle Sex Leslie Howard (actor)
Answer: "The First of the Few"