A crude hydrate 6 and a crystalline hemiacetal 7 of glyoxylamide 4 were prepared from crotonamide 5 (Scheme 2). Particularly hemiacetal 7, but also 6 and the 'dimer' 8 (obtained from 7) may Serve as homochiral auxiliaries. The structure of 8 was determined by X-ray analysis. By arenesulfonyl halides, tryptimines 12-14 of 4 were diastereoselectively transformed into spirotricycles 15-17 and 19.