Some kissing scenes, but no sex or nudity, although all during the first half, Harold Hill treats Marian as if he were trying to seduce her. The most explicit he gets is when he says "Maiden lady librarians who give piano lessons are a specialty of mine...I'll back her into a corner and breathe on her glasses."

The gossipy townswomen believe that Marian once had an affair with Mr. Madison, a philanthropist who never appears in the film. He was her father's best friend.

The song "The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl" contains a few suggestive lines ("I prefer to take a chance on a more adult romance, no dewy young miss who keeps resisting" "How can ignorance be compared to bliss?" "I pray for a Hester to win just one more A." "I rave for the virtue I'm too late to save" "I grin when the gal with a touch of sin walks in" etc.) A couple mild gestures are also made (light thrusting movements, motioning the curves of a female).

In one scene, Charlie tells Marian that Professor Hill has a girl in all 102 counties in Iowa.

During "Marian the Librarian", Harold kisses Marian on the cheek, and she tries to slap him. However, Harold moves out of the way and she ends up slapping Tommy Djilas instead.

Tommy Djilas sets off a firecracker behind Mrs. Shinn during the 4th of July celebration. Mrs. Shinn screams "I'm shot!" and nearly faints, but is completely unharmed.

There is some talk of tarring and feathering in the film.

Near the end, anvil salesman Charlie Cowell accidentally drops an anvil on his own foot. It is played for laughs.

Mayor Shinn treats Tommy Djilas's expression "Great honk!" as if it were a profanity.

Some characters smoke cigarettes.

Alcoholic references made during "Ya Got Trouble".