As a preface to work leading to the total synthesis of 18, 19-dehydrotabersonine, described in the following paper, some older work on the synthesis of (±)-3-oxo-20-desethyl-20- allylvincadifformine, its C-20 epimer, and (±)-3-oxo-19-vinylvincadifformine is reported. Attempts to convert these compounds, by appropriate manipulation of the isolated double bond, into a wide range of anilinoacrylate alkaloids, eg minovincine, tuboxenine, and ...