Michelle Carpenter was born on Sept. 3, 1957, but where she was born has never been confirmed although most believe it was in Oklahoma. Little is known about her early life and schooling. According to Ron Jeremy, Michelle was teaching a college aerobics course before she entered into the world of adult entertainment beginning in 1977.
Michelle was working in New York City at the then famous Show World Theater, a very popular and active sex emporium in Time Square that never lacked for wide eyed sexual excitement. It was here that she would meet Eric Edwards while dancing on the live stage. He is the one who got her into adult films and also helped her stop using cocaine while she performed in films with him. It is also noted that she was able to leave a methadone treatment program with his help. The two married in 1980 but jealousies and verbal disagreements followed regarding his various affairs.
When she got into films she changed her name to Arcadia Lake, the name of a resort area in Oklahoma, another reason many believe that was her birth state. She was very petite, just 5’ 1” with a tight body and with raven, almost jet black hair. Because of her young looking appearance, school girl type figure and being so petite she was often cast in roles as a high school girl or college coed. She was another porn star of the era that was a natural as an actress and could deliver her lines in a very realistic and believable way.
Ms. Lake made her adult film debut in the 1978 film “Summertime Blue” playing a school girl who meets and older man (Eric Edwards). For the next six years Ms. Lake and her fresh faced innocent beauty helped her become one of the top actresses playing innocent young girls. It was amazing to many that even though she did drugs she was able to maintain her looks and perform on the set extremely well. Sexually she was very talented and full of enthusiasm. She was a total pro, despite her problem, and rarely ever a problem on the set. Over those next six years she would become best known for her roles in “Honey Throat” in 1980 and “Secrets of a Willing Wife” in 1981, a film that many say was her best role as an actress. While she made a name for herself in those and other films, she is most familiar to porn fans for her role as Tammy in 1978’s “Debbie Does Dallas” the porn takeoff on the famous cheerleader troupe.
Arcadia Lake left the adult film industry in 1984, after making about 40 or so films. What happened to her after she left has been a mystery with a lot of unconfirmed stories? The rumors about her 1991 death go from a drug overdose to being the victim of a Mafia murder and to Ms. Lake actually faking her death so she could leave her time in porn behind and begin a new, more respectable name and a career for herself. Those were some of the stories and rumors that surfaced, but what the true story is regarding Ms. Lake we may never know. What we do know is this talented performer, who would be almost 59 today, gave the porn industry and its fans some sizzling and memorable performances in that short span of time in front of the cameras.
Many of her films, in particular “Debbie Does Dallas” are now available on DVD. If you have never seen this petite lady’s work, I suggest you do yourself a favor and check out some of her titles. It will be a worthwhile view of another great name from porn’s golden age.
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and
