Van Patten was born in New York City, the son of Josephine Rose (née Acerno), who worked in advertising, and Richard Byron Van Patten, an interior decorator. He is the older brother of actress Joyce Van Patten and the uncle of Talia Balsam. He has been married to Patricia Poole (aka Pat Van Patten) since 1954. They have three sons, all actors: Vincent Van Patten, Nels Van Patten and James Van Patten.
In January 2006, Van Patten was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a diabetic stroke. Van Patten, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, made a full recovery. Van Patten started his career in showbiz as a child actor on Broadway in 1937 in The Eternal Road as Dickie Van Patten; he went on to appear in twelve other Broadway plays as a teenager. He moved on to television and movies with the 1949 TV series I Remember Mama which ran from 1949 to 1957, and as patriarch Tom Bradford on Eight is Enough, 1977 to 1981.
Patten also appeared in a Sanford and Son episode. He has appeared in several Mel Brooks films, including High Anxiety, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, as well as cameos in the music videos for "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem" by "Weird Al" Yankovic, and on The Weird Al Show. Van Patten co-founded Dick Van Patten`s Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989.
This high-quality brand of pet food provides all natural, complete and balanced nutrition in the form of dry and canned food, dog food rolls and frozen loaves and treats. The company also produces limited ingredient diet pet foods that are hypo-allergenic and is also well-known for its potato and duck formulas.