BY HIS OWN admission, Walter Matthau became a star because he had a gambling problem. Specifically, his bookie told him that if he kept losing at the rate he was, he’d get to choose whether he wanted his arms or legs broken. While he tailed off the bets, Matthau got out of the hole by taking any TV or film gig on offer and worked his way up from bit parts and guest shots to authentic movie stardom as Oscar, the slobbier half of The Odd Couple to Jack Lemmon’s prissy Felix. Based on a play by Neil Simon, that runaway 1968 hit led to a career as a middle-aged light-comedy lead. A lot of things were possible in ’70s Hollywood that would be a stretch now, like jowly, growly, wrinkled, slouching Matthau becoming a romcom lead, grouching endearingly through Cactus Flower (with Ingrid Bergman and Goldie Hawn), Pete ’N’ Tillie (with Carol Burnett) and House Calls (with Glenda Jackson). He stuck with Neil Simon for Plaza Suite, California Suite and The Sunshine Boys, and coached The Bad News Bears in 1976. Everybody’s favourite disreputable uncle, Matthau aged disgracefully to become one of the Grumpy Old Men.