A B737-200 FLT IS MANDATED TO RETURN LAND WHEN SMOKE IN CABIN AND HIGH HEAT AT SEAT ROW 7 WHILE CLBING THROUGH 5000 FT 10 MI FROM LGA; NY.

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WE TOOK OFF FROM LGA WITH BLEEDS OFF; UNPRESSURIZED; DUE TO MEL'ED INOP APU. AT APPROX 1500 FT MSL; ACFT BLEED AIR WAS RECONFIGURED AS PER SUPPLEMENTAL NORMAL CHKLIST AND A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD SHORTLY THEREAFTER. WE ASSUMED THIS WAS THE OUTFLOW VALVE CLOSING ABRUPTLY. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 3500 FT MSL WE HEARD THE FLT ATTENDANTS RINGING THE CALL BELL. WE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE CABIN CREW UNSUCCESSFULLY AFTER WHICH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO INFORM US WE HAD 'SMOKE IN THE CABIN' AND 'HEAT' AT APPROX ROW 7. WE IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED VECTORS FOR A RETURN TO LGA. THE 'SMOKE AND FUMES' PROC IN THE QRH WAS INITIATED. AFTER APPROX 5 MINS; THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO ADVISE US THE SMOKE HAD CLRED AND TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO LGA. SHE ALSO REQUESTED AN ETA AND WAS INFORMED WE WOULD BE LNDG WITHIN 15 MINS. THE COCKPIT CREW THEN REMOVED OXYGEN MASKS AND GOGGLES; TERMINATED THE QRH PROC; AND FOCUSED ON THE APCH AND LNDG. LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN 10 MINS FROM THE TIME WE DECLARED THE EMER. OTHER FACTORS: 1) DURING CLBOUT; WE DETERMINED THE #1 ENG EPR GAUGE WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. AUTOTHROTTLES WERE NOT AVAILABLE AS A RESULT; THEREBY INCREASING WORKLOAD. 2) PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS FELT MORE COM BTWN US WOULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL; BUT VERY DIFFICULT DUE TO THE SHORT TIME AND VERY HVY WORKLOAD PREPARING FOR LNDG. 3) ALSO DISCUSSED WHETHER DIVERTING TO EWR OR JFK WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER CHOICE BUT FELT THAT TIME AND DISTANCE WERE PROHIBITIVE. LGA WAS CLOSER AND; HAVING JUST DEPARTED; WE KNEW THE WX CONDITIONS THERE. 4) ALSO DISCUSSED THE NECESSITY FOR GND EVAC BUT FELT THAT ONCE THE SMOKE HAD BEEN CLRED; THE IMMEDIATE DANGER WAS OVER AND THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR INJURY DURING EVAC WAS A GREATER RISK.