The competing forces of a greater number of weak C-H... 0 interactions in the crystal structure of imidazolin-5-one analogues seem to tip the balance against the relatively stronger carbonyl-carbon (C = O delta----C delta+) electrostatic interaction previously observed and reported by us in the crystal structure of (4Z)-4-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-1,2-diphenyl-1,4-dihydro-5H-imidazolin-5-one [G. Bhattacharjya, G. Savitha, G. Ramanathan, Cryst. Eng. Commun. 6 (2004) 233]. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.