The Spiv or Wide Boy is a popular archetype from Britain's wartime and postwar culture and I would be interersted to know whether these figures occur in the movie and TV culture of any other nations, like the US or Germany?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiv
John Blythe played "Gowan" in the 'Huggets' movies, as well as spiv roles in other films
George Cole was "Flash Harry" in the 'St Trinians' movies, where he connived in petty cons with the school's criminal element
Peter Sellers as Harry Robinson in The Ladykillers
George Cole again as "Arthur Daley", the wheeler-dealing car salesman in 70s TV show 'Minder'
Another 1970s TV icon: James Beck as "Walker" in 'Dad's Army'
In the 1980s the trilby and long coat were replaced by flat cap and camel coat when David Jason first appeared as the incredible "Delboy Trotter" in 'Only Fools & Horses' on TV... he became a National Treasure