Gilman and Kirby reported that although 4-(dimethylamino) benzonitrile does not react with methylmagnesium bromide, with methyllithium it afforded 4'-(dimethy1amino) acetophenone in 45% yield. 1 We found that this route was applicable in the julolidine series. Accordingly, 9-formyljulolidine (1) was obtained by the typical Vismeier procedure, but in improved yield and purity by allowing the hydrolysis step to proceed overnight. The conversion of 1 ...