A possible route for an unambiguous synthesis, and therefore proof of structure, of the 2-hydroxy-1-phenylindene-3-carboxylate (XXIX) might start with 1,4-dihydro-1-phenylnaphthalene (XLI) which on oxidative cleavage of the double bond should give rise to alpha-phenyl-o-benzenediacetic acid (XLII). Esterification of XLII followed by base catalyzed cyclization would be expected to give XXIX. It was the purpose of this research to carry out the indicated scheme as well as to investigate some novel approaches to the synthesis of XLI. The problem was successfully solved.