in 1919 he marries "mária puhalag", and adopts her daughter, "gabriella surányi". they moved to budapest, where his son "istván györgy kabos" was born. as directors discover his comedic talent, he gets more and more small roles, including one in the "vígszínház". while his appearances are met with high critical acclaim, the financial crisis of the country drew a shadow to the theatrical world, also reducing his appearances. however, this situation proved as an opportunity, as the renowned "fővárosi művész színház" (the future operettszínház) closed its doors, and a new search began for a director. along with "lászló békeffi", his name was trusted enough that they got the job. but life as a manager proved to be hard as kabos disapproved the high salaries of leading actors, resulting in numerous conflicts. again, the new plays are met with high critical acclaim, but not with monetary success, so the theatre needs to pull out formerly played acts. continuing work conflicts, the appearance of the first loud movies, and disinterest of the public eventually result in bankruptcy. while he already tried himself in numerous small, often experimental silent films during the 1910s, he disliked them, as he blamed them for the downfall of theatrical world.