'JEDI' AT 40: BRINGING JABBA'S PALACE TO (SCUM AND VILLAINOUS) LIFE!

An intriguing angle of one side of the palace throne room looking toward the alcove area holding Han Solo in Carbonite.

Because it is filled with puppets that need to be operated from underneath, Jabba’s Throne Room den of vice and villainy constructed at London's Elstree Studios Stage 8 is ultimately built about eight feet off the floor, a situation which actually works well within the reality of the film, since the Hutt's throne slides back to reveal a trap door to a pit containing his pet Rancor beast (for the scene, shot on February 1st, 1982, where Luke descends into it, Mark Hamill will wear a safety harness as he falls onto mattresses underneath the set). Theoretically, the puppeteers are standing/working in Jabba’s pit during filming (not to be confused with the separate Rancor pit cavern set eventually built separately on Stage 1, from March 1982), with the additional space giving them adequate room to work. 

Blueprint for the set build from 1981.

Set maquettes featuring Jabba and Threepio.

Differing views of the throne room set construction.

The barbecue area behind Jabba.

A selection of food set decoration for Jabba in this continuity polaroid.

A droid working on one of Jabba's futuristic slot machines in the throne room.