Adolf Gettler is an assassin working for Quantum (in the film Casino Royale) and SMERSH (in the novel). He was portrayed by Richard Sammel.

Richard Samme as Adolf Gettler in ‘Casino Royale’.

He wears a Panama hat in both the film and novel. Also, he wears an eyepatch in the novel, while in the film he wears glasses with a darkened left lens. He is supposedly a Swiss watch salesman.

Novel biography: Adolph Gettler is a SMERSH operative sent to hunt down Bond and Vesper Lynd after Le Chiffre is killed by SMERSH itself. He fails when Vesper commits suicide.

Film biography: Gettler is first seen by Vesper in Venice as she and Bond go down the Grand Canal in their yacht. After Bond uncovers Vesper’s betrayal he, runs across the city trying to locate her and finds her about to hand off the funds from the poker game with Le Chiffre to Gettler. He takes Vesper hostage with a dagger and Bond chases them into a building under renovation all the while having to outrun gunfire from two of his men. When Gettler’s bodyguard The Tall Man attempts to shoot Bond the agent causes the building to sink into the Grand Canal, thus starting an all-out brawl between Gettler’s thugs and Bond while avoiding the steadily-rising water level.

As the briefcase full of money drifts off the edge of a floorboard, Gettler tries to grab it before it. He fails to grasp the case, later picked up by Mr White. Bond fights his way through several thugs, and finally kills Gettler by shooting his left eye (the one covered with a darkened lens) with the same nailgun that Gettler attempted to kill Bond with moments before. Gettler’s corpse is then left sitting on the ground as the building sinks into the canal.

See also:

• Bond henchmen