Although diamide 5 was the expected rearrangement product, phthalanil (3) was not necessarily the anticipated rearrangement-cyclization product. Since the indicated rearrangement of oxime amide 4 (see Scheme 111) should form carbonium ion 7 or phosphorus chloride complex 8, direct cyclization to give ani1 9 seemed possible. That 9 was not produced as an intermediate and then converted into phthalanil (3) was shown by ...