PURPOSE: To prepare the titled compound useful as a raw material of photographic material, stably, in high purity, by carrying out the synthesis in the presence of a polymerization inhibting or retarding substance containing at least one sulfur atom.

CONSTITUTION: The objective compound of formula IV(R1 is H or methyl; R2 is cyano, etc.; R3 is 1W12C alkylene, 6W12C arylene, etc.) is prepared by reacting the compound of formulaI with the compound of formula II (X is halogen) or compound of formula III (R5 is H, methyl, etc.) in the presence of an organic sulfur compound (e.g. dodecylmercaptan) or an inorganic sulfur compound containing at least one sulfur atom. The use of the above sulfur compound as a polymerization inhibiting or polymerization retarding substance enables the preparation of the objective compound suppressing the degradation (polymerization) of the compound during the reaction or during the purification process after the reaction.