THE MALTESE FALCON is a great, thrilling movie, and a prime example of how great stories never fade with age. It's a great one to show kids who like thrillers or appreciate classics.
There are some tense scenes, and one man is shot onscreen. Another is seen after he's been shot, but there is no blood or gore. Sam is said to have an affair with his partner's wife, it is implied that he and Brigid O'Shaughnessy slept together. There is a lot of drinking and smoking, and several characters double-cross each other and have criminal motives, though the Bogart character always stays straight.