A facile method for tolmetin, which is a potent antiinflammatory agent, is described. Friedel-Crafts reaction of 1-methylpyrrole with ethyl ${alpha}-chloro-{alpha}-(methylthio)acetate$ (1) gave ethyl ${alpha}-methylthio$-1-methyl-2-pyrroleacetate (4), which was readily converted into ethyl 1-methyl-2-pyrroleacetate (5) by reductive desulfurization with zinc dust in acetic acid. Tolmetin was synthesized by Friedel-Crafts acylation of (5) with p-toluoyl chloride, followed by hydrolysis of the resultant ethyl 5-(p-toluoyl)-1-methylpyrrole-2-acetate (6).