Parents Guide for
North by Northwest (1959) More at IMDbPro »

Suggested MPAA Rating: PG for Mild Violence and Smoking

The main male and female character have some highly sexualized dialogue in their first meeting, some of which could be construed as propositioning (however, every line has a double meaning, and the sexual one will most likely soar over the head of anyone younger than high-school age).

There is some dialogue as to the fact that two characters have slept together.

The main male and female character kiss passionately in a long scene, but no sex or nudity is seen.

Several shootings, all of them bloodless. There are several attempts on the main character's life. A man is stabbed by a throwing knife, and another falls off of a steep cliff to his death. Since this is a Hitchcock film, the majority of it relies on thrills and chills, and there are many scenes that aren't violent, but are intense and nerve-wracking.

Brief mild language

Some scenes showing characters smoking and drinking.

The main character is forced to drink Bourbon to excess

The two most famous (and important) scenes might frighten children. In the middle of the film, Mr. Thornhill is chased by a cropduster. And in the dramatic climax, Van Damm's men chase Kendell and Mr. Thornhill across Mount Rushmore.

Also, Mr. Thornhill is intoxicated while driving down a mountain, which proves to be very intense...